Rensselaer Building Conservation/Historic Preservation Program, Troy, New York

2009-03-01T18:24:00.004-05:00

The Building Conservation Program is no longer offered by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This blog is no longer maintained and is not affiliated in any way with RPI.

Thanks for visiting and feel free to visit my new blog, Rooted in Place, which is about promoting historic preservation and celebrating the things that make places unique.

Albany's Welllington Row - Updates

2007-07-20T17:08:00.000-05:00

Wellington Row Developer Building Support

Plan lauded for "remarkable level of preservation" of historic architecture during key meeting in Albany

From Times Union

By Chris Churchill, July 20, 2007

ALBANY -- Preservationists and city officials are cheering the latest plan for the redevelopment of Wellington Row, the forlorn but historically significant string of buildings near the state Capitol.

The new proposal from Columbia Development Cos. -- the Albany firm wanting to build a 14-story office tower on the site -- meets the demands of historic preservationists by mostly retaining four of Wellington Row's five buildings while keeping all of the buildings' facades.

Under the $60 million plan, the buildings on either side of the former Wellington Hotel would be rehabilitated, with retail at ground level and apartments on upper floors.

The Wellington itself would be demolished, but Columbia would rebuild its facade on a new structure that would serve as an entryway to the mammoth, 400,000-square-foot office building.

"Given the circumstances, it's a remarkable level of preservation that Columbia has taken on," said architect William Brandow, a Historic Albany Foundation board member.

Wellington Row has long been an irritant to city officials and downtown boosters, who have watched the prominent site decline into a boarded-up eyesore at the heart of the city center. It has been hard, after all, to argue that downtown is succeeding with a key State Street site in such disrepair.

Columbia raised hopes when it bought the site for $925,000 last November from London-based Sebba Rockaway Ltd. But preservationists quickly objected to a Columbia plan to demolish most of the row and build an office tower immediately behind the historic facades.

Preservationists said the plan reduced the building fronts to window dressing, and they lobbied Columbia to reconsider.

The firm did so, and this week brought its revisions to the city's Historic Resources Commission, which reviews projects in historically significant areas.

"The purpose of the meeting was to make sure we're on the right track," said Columbia's Mike Arcangel, who is overseeing the Wellington Row project. "And it seems to be. It seems we've passed a litmus test."

The proposal has many hurdles to clear. It still needs a host of approvals from the city, and some preservationists are quietly questioning the size of the proposed office building, saying it may overwhelm Wellington Row and other area buildings.

"There's going to be a lot of details to review," said city planner Richard Nicholson. "We're at the big concept stage, which I would say was well received."

City officials are particularly pleased Columbia has added apartments to the project, a move that could further a long-stated goal of having more people living in the city center.

"What's nice about this is that is has all the elements," said Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings. "You're going to have residential as well as retail and office."

Jennings called Wellington Row critical to downtown redevelopment. "There's no reason for us to have buildings that look like that and have them 100 yards away from a beautiful state Capitol," he said.

While four of the site's buildings will not be demolished, it is unclear how much of their interiors will be saved. Some have decayed beyond repair -- that's especially true of the former Berkshire Hotel at 140 State St. -- while others have elements that may not fit into Columbia's redevelopment plans.

Susan Holland, executive director of the Historic Albany Foundation, said the former Elks Lodge, at 138 State St., has a magnificent ballroom. But that space likely will be lost under Columbia's plan, she said.

Rebuilding the Wellington Hotel facade on a new building is the most unusual component of the Columbia proposal, and preservationists said they were awaiting details of how that segment of the project would proceed.

Arcangel said Columbia would carefully remove the facade, catalog and store its pieces, then rebuild it. Yet it wouldn't be a replica: The "new" facade would be several feet higher, as Columbia wants to increase the building's interior ceiling heights.

Such plans have raised hackles in other cities. In Chicago, for example, preservations objected to a plan that reconstructed the facade of the historic McGraw-Hill Building on a new hotel.

Some have called the increasingly common practice a "facade-ectomy."

But in Albany, preservationists say they acknowledge the state of decay Wellington Row has fallen into, and say they are pleased the developer has agreed to save much of what is significant about the site.

"Given the obstacles," Brandow said, "it's a good preservation project."

Albany's Wellington Row plan detailed

From Times Union

By Ryan Hutchins, July 18, 2007

ALBANY - Representatives of Columbia Development Cos. detailed the Wellington Row project tonight night before the city of Albany's Historic Resource Commission.

The plan includes a new 14-story building of about 409,000 square feet fronted by the facades of four existing buildings.

In the center, the Wellington Hotel would be replaced by an eight-story building that would resemble the historic hotel, with pieces of the original building incorporated into the new facade.

As well as the facades, about 40 to 50 feet of the buildings behind the facade would be kept standing. Some of the space might be rehabilitated for residential or special retail use.
Columbia Development Cos. bought the properties for $925,000 from London-based Sebba Rockaway Ltd. The original plan was to demolish the entire row.

City of Troy's Inaugural Chowderfest

2007-07-15T14:11:00.000-05:00

Clam chowder anyone? Mayor Harry J. Tutunjian joined with local restaurateurs, including Chef Larry Schepici from Tosca Grille to announce the inaugural Troy Chowderfest, set to take place on August 18th, on River Street, Troy.

"In the last few years, we have had some wonderful restaurants open in the City of Troy, and they go along great with the fabulous eateries that are already here," Tutunjian said. "Chef Larry had this idea to start a Chowderfest, and believes it will be a great time and be very successful. It will serve as a wonderful option for people looking to not go to Saratoga."

Prospect Park Family Concert Series

2007-07-15T14:04:00.000-05:00

The Friends of Prospect Park is proud to announce its second Family Concert Series. The concert, which are free and open to the public, are held in Troy's Prospect Park. Performances include:

Tuesday, July 31, at 7:00 p.m. - The Zucchini Brothers - A favorite among local children, this band attracted over 200 people to Prospect Park last summer. Originally from Saratoga Springs, but now living in a clubhouse in ZucchiniLand, the Zucchini Brothers are well renowned for their work in schools, theaters and festivals throughout the country.

Tuesday, August 7, at 7:00 p.m. - The Empire State Youth Percussion Orchestra - The most advanced area high school and middle school percussion players will delight the audience with vibes, electric bass, drum set, and an electric piano. The Hamilton Hill Arts Center Steel Drum Band - The group hails from Schenectady's Hamilton Hill Arts Center. A part of the center's innovative music program, they are the only youth-based steel pan group in this area.

Tuesday, August 14, 7:00 p.m. - Andy "The Music Man" Morse - His program is high energy and interactive and he delights young audiences with his lively blend of sing-a-longs, dancing, play-acting and storytelling. A percussive rhythmic guitarist, mandolin player and songwriter, Andy creates an environment in which children feel comfortable and encouraged to participate. His concert in Prospect Park last summer drew 125 people and dozens of dancing children.

Tuesday, August 21, at 6:30 (Note early start time) - Either/Orchestra - A ten-piece band from Boston, the jazz ensemble (two trumpets, trombone, three saxophones, piano, acoustic bass, drums, and congas) combines the agility and freedom of a jazz combo, the raw power and subtle coloring of a jazz orchestra and the deep grooves of Afro-Latin music. The concert is co-sponsored by The Sanctuary for Independent Media, a local community arts organization committed to promoting independent artists.

Prospect Park is located on Congress Street (Route 2) in Troy. For more information about the concert series or the Friends of Prospect Park, call 266-1433. All of the concerts are held rain or shine.

If you do head to the concerts, bring a picnic and blanket, or stop for dinner beforehand at one of Troy's great nearby restaurants, including Anselmo's (95 Ferry Street), Minissale's Wine Bar (14th Street), Muza Diner (15th Street), or Fisher's Pizza (Congress Street). Of course, there are many more -- check the sidebar at right for a few more ideas, or stop by the RiverSpark Visitor Center for a business directory with map, and other suggestions from the helpful staff. And if you want to learn a bit more about the historic Mt. Ida neighborhood that surrounds Prospect Park, visit the Historic Mt. Ida web site our BCon students developed this spring (FYI - The site's content is currently being moved from RPI servers to a new internet home, but should be available soon).

Historic Osgood neighborhood showcased - "A Touch of Heaven in the city of Troy"

2007-07-15T13:27:00.000-05:00

Kudos and many thanks to our energetic and tireless neighbor, Claire Davis, the "force of nature" behind yesterday's tour of Troy's Osgood neighborhood. For those who may not know, Claire is also the force behind Troy in Bloom, which organizes an army of volunteers every Memorial Day weekend to plant flowers throughout downtown Troy, and is an active volunteer with many other causes. THANKS, CLAIRE, for all you do to make Troy a better place!

From Troy Record

By Robert Cristo; photograph by Tom Killips.
07/15/07

TROY - While spending a sunny Saturday afternoon enjoying a tour through South Troy, partakers were also exposed to the pride residents are taking in what is now considered an up and coming neighborhood.

Throughout the House, Garden and Church Tour organized by resident Claire Davis, participants not only got an opportunity to view architectural treasures of the Osgood Neighborhood but also witnessed a bevy of residents sprucing up their homes and gardens.

"Instead of moving back to New York City or San Francisco, I'm more interested now in living here and being part of an up-and-coming community that's working to save their beautiful architectural history rather than tearing it down," said Carin Upstill, a transplant who now calls Third Street her home.

During the tour of 16 local sites, which included Davis' renovated Roman-style home on Third Street, the Osgood Firehouse and St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church, groups were impressed to see that so many homeowners were out painting their facades, doing home repairs and tidying up around their properties.

One of those property owners, Richard Hennessey, pointed out that economic development interest in South Troy has picked up, evidenced by the sheer number of properties that have been purchased recently.

"There's no doubt in my mind that South Troy is coming back big," said Hennessey, while painting the façade of his Ida Street home. "I see a tremendous amount of development in terms of old homes getting cleaned up.

"I first noticed it about three years ago with the whole Little Italy thing. ... Sometimes it takes only one spark of enthusiasm to create a domino effect," he added.

One of those sparks many local residents point to is Davis, who they dubbed "a force of nature" with boundless energy in advocating for the re-birth of South Troy.

Since moving into her once dilapidated yellow and white trimmed home topped with a V-shaped façade and Roman style columns in 1991, she has transformed it back to its original luster, both inside and out.

"When I bought it, everything had to be redone from the basement up - the foundation and to the roof - but I saw the potential," said Davis. "It had the right look and feel - good bones - but it needed a little tender loving care."

Davis said she organized the tour to showcase the potential of the neighborhood in hopes that more people will continue to invest in a community she considers a jewel. Those who took the tour said they couldn't agree more with Davis' assessment.

"The tour gave me the opportunity to go inside these grand homes I've only got the chance to see from the outside when I walk around the neighborhood," said Upstill, who once lived near Central Park in Manhattan.

"This is were I want to live now. ... It's one of the few areas in the capital region I love just strolling around in, looking at the historic architecture and seeing people hanging out on their stoops. ... Being from New York City that's something I missed," she added.

In addition to Davis's restored 19th Century home, the tour featured many unique features of the neighborhood. "Everyone knows about things like beautiful Tiffany stained glass windows at St. Joseph's Church, but they often don't know about the artifacts and paintings at the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church," said Davis. "That and so many other things make this area a touch of heaven in the city of Troy."

"To me it has a history that just speaks to me...it says take care of me and make me beautiful for the next generation and beyond to appreciate,' said Davis.

Besides her own home, Davis hoped people who went on the tour also took time to appreciate the homes, gardens, churches, restaurants and fire-houses that make up what is known as the Osgood Neighborhood.

Internship Opportunities - Howard Hall Farm

2007-07-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

The following internships are available at the Howard Hall Farm Restoration Project:

All of the internships take place on the site of a 220-year-old Federal style home in Athens NY, which serves as a classroom and laboratory. The site offers a unique environment for hands-on learning and offers specific restoration challenges that are distinctive to this region.

REPOINTING AND REBUILDING STONE AND BRICK INTERNSHIP:
(Students will learn and practice techniques passed down
for centuries using historic lime mortar as in days of yore)
Duration: one week
Accepting 3 Interns

Interns will engage in hands-on repointing and stone rebuilding work using traditional methods of approach for masonry restoration. They will learn directly from Reggie Young, the founder of our historic restoration/green technology project, who studied brick and stone pointing with John Speweik of the U.S. Heritage Group of Chicago. No experience is necessary. This internship is designed to give participants a taste of this ancient process and is ideally suited for anyone interested in getting their hands dirty and learning a bit about the history of these ancient techniques.

When applicable, HHF will work with your school to make sure you can receive class credit for your studies here.

HISTORIC LIME PLASTER INTERNSHIP:
Duration: one week
Accepting 3 Interns

Students will learn the benefits and processes involved in using historic lime plaster instead of more modern techniques. By using these ancient, environmentally friendly materials, structures are actually given "room to breathe", and can last much longer than buildings treated with more contemporary methods. Students will be trained by our plaster expert, Sean (also trained in the line of John Speweik's internationally renowned processes) to learn the multifaceted uses of this visually luscious material. No experience is necessary. This internship is designed to give participants a taste of this ancient process and is ideally suited for anyone interested in getting their hands dirty and learning a bit about the history of these ancient techniques.

When applicable, HHF will work with your school to make sure you can receive class credit for your studies here.

For more information, or to apply for an internship, call 518-945-1253
or email: info@howardhallfarm.com

Just send your name and a sentence or two letting HHF know which internship interests you, and why, and your contact information.

To learn more about HHF, visit:
http://howardhallfarm.com/
or find them on Myspace

Architecture & Preservation in the News

2007-07-07T11:12:00.000-05:00

Philip Johnson's Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut officially opened to the public on June 21. Tickets are pretty much sold out for the forseeable future, but here are a few articles to whet your appetite for this unique site:

Behind the Glass Wall: Memories of life and death in an architectural masterwork (by Christopher Mason, New York Times, June 7, 2007) - includes a multimedia slide show and photographs.

Through A Glass Clearly, A Questing Spirit (by Nicolai Ouroussoff, New York Times, July 6, 2007) - includes a multimedia slide show and photographs.

A few other recent articles of interest include:

The 'Great Love' Of a Collector Of Old Mansions (by Kathryn Matthews, New York Times, July 6, 2007) - about Richard Jenrette and his collection of fantastically restored historic houses, including Edgewater in Barrytown, New York; includes photographs and a multimedia slide show.

Alcoholics Anonymous Founder's House Is a Self-Help Landmark (by Lisa A. Foderaro, New York Times, July 6, 2007) - about Stepping Stones, the Westchester County home of Bill and Lois Wilson, founders of Alcoholics Anonymous and Al Anon. The house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and was recently added to New York State's Women's Heritage Trail. Tours are available by appointment, seven days a week. FYI - Stepping Stones is currently seeking an archivist to "continue the work of cataloguing the Wilson's possessions, including the most significant items, now in storage, like the first copy of the Big Book to roll off the press.

Restoring the Past to Improve the Future (by Fred A. Bernstein, New York Times, July 1, 2007) - About the rehabilitation of the historic Attucks Theater in Norfolk, Virginia (constructed in 1919, but unused since the 1950s) by the Norfolk Housing and Redevelopment Authority, which has successfuly used New Market Tax Credits to restore the theater and revitalize the surrounding neighborhood.

Guidebook sets the scene for road trips (by Michael Janairo, Times Union, June 24, 2007) - about National Geographic's new Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways.

Troy Doings: Midweek Farmers Market, RCHS Members Night, Movies, and Music

2007-07-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

Troy's Weekday Farmers Market

Those who have been missing Troy's Wednesday Farmers Market -- located for years along the south side of the Uncle Sam Atrium (Broadway between Third and Fourth) -- will be pleased to know the market has been relocated to Riverfront Park. Although it is much smaller than the Saturday market, there will be 4-5 vendors with produce and other goods. The market will be open from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Wednesday through October. Be sure to check it out. FYI - for other farmers market days, times, and locations, check the listings in Metroland or the Times Union (online)...I think Watervliet has one in Hudson Shores park on Tuesday and one is located near Hudson Valley Community College on Thursdays.

Rensselaer County Historical Society Members' Night

The Rensselaer County Historical Society will be hosting its next Members' Night on Thursday, July 19th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Carr Building, 57 Second Street, Troy. Members (and their guests/"aspiring" members) are invited to enjoy fine wine, cheese, and informal but informative discussion of the late 1830s Howard-Hart Curtain Quarter Coach, a rare American made vehicle purchased in New York City by William and Rebecca Howard, parents of Betsey Howard Hart. With velvet seats, elaborate decorative trim and hardware, original lanterns and coat of arms on the doors, the Howard-Hart Coach is a stunning example of a high-style town coach. Only four of these coaches are known to survive and you will hear about the rediscovery and acquisition of this important piece of Troy history from Douglas G. Bucher, RCHS Board member and preservation architect and Stacy Pomeroy Draper, RCHS Curator.

The acquisition of the Howard-Hart Coach has provided RCHS with a wonderful opportunity to be able to use the vehicle to interpret both an aspect of family life at the Hart-Cluett House and discuss a wide range of themes related to Rensselaer County history, but it has also presented the organization with a complex preservation challenge. A detailed look at the Carriage House and the role it played in daily life will round out the evening. Refreshments will be served in the Courtyard of the Hart-Cluett House, weather permitting.

Members' Night is but one of the new members' benefits we plan for 2007 to increase the enjoyment of being part of RCHS. We hope to see you there, and we encourage you to bring a friend.

Little Italy's Cinema Under the Stars

Little Italy reports that this summer's first Cinema Under the Stars event was a success. Over 50 people (with their chairs in tow) enjoyed watching a young Anthony Quinn and Richard Basehart in Fellini's award winning movie "La Strada." Join Little Italy for the next movie, on Friday July 27th, 8:45 p.m., at the MarketPlace, Hill Street between Liberty and Washington, for Vittorio De Sica's "The Bicycle Thief." In case of rain the event will be held in the Gasholder House on Jefferson and Fifth.

FYI - This event is part of Troy Night Out, held on the last Friday of each month. Plan to spend the evening in Troy, browsing in shops and galleries, dining, listening to music, and watching a movie!

Troy Cinema & Visual Arts Group

The Troy Cinema & Visual Arts Group, which is a grass-roots group working to bring a movie venue back to downtown Troy, will be presenting "The Assassin," produced by local actor and producer, Kevin Craig West on Wednesday, July 18th at 7 p.m. in the Arts Center. For more information, check www.troycinema.org.

Riverfront Park Concert Series

Collar City Live presents their summer concert series in River Front Park. Here is their schedule (in past years, folks have been known to picnic around the pavilion in the park).

Sun., July 8, 6PM - Georgie Wonders Big Band
Sun., July 15, 6PM - Nightingale
Sun., July 22, 6PM - Sonny & Perley “Brazilian Romance”
Sun., July 29, 6PM - Taineri – Latin night
Sun., Aug. 5, 6PM - The Lustre Kings - Rockabilly
Sun., Aug. 12, 6PM - Blind Mice
Sun., Aug. 19, 6PM - The Ron Cremisio Band
Sun., Aug. 26, 2PM - Take Me To The River Blues Fest (Featuring Danny Kalb)

And for the kids:

Wed., July 11, noon - Peter, Paul & George Family Dance
Wed., July 18, noon - Sensemaya for kids
Wed., July 25, noon - Tom Winslow
Wed., Aug. 1, noon - Ivy Vine Players
Wed., Aug. 8, noon - Cranberry the Clown
Wed., Aug. 15, noon - Tales ‘n& Tunes
Wed., Aug. 22, noon - Hamilton Hill Steel Drum Band

Other Music Outdoors

Powers Park Concert Series 2007 (Lansingburgh, 7 p.m.):

July 7 - Country Night: North 40 Band
July 14 - Billy Joel Tribute: Stormfront
July 21 - Neil Diamond Tribute - Al Bruno
July 28 - Classic Rock/Funk: Wylder
Aug 4 - More Classic Rock/Funk: Vehicle
Aug 11 - Spectacular 50s Night - The Greyhounds
Aug 18 - Classic Rock/Funk: Groov e syndicate

Rumor also has it that concerts will be held in Prospect Park, but I do not have details.

Osgood House/Garden Tour

And, last but not least, the Osgood Neighborhood of South Troy will be presenting its annual house and garden tour on July 14th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 and the tour starts at 324 Third Street.

Of course, there's far more going on than I can include here, so check local newspapers, the city's web site (www.troyny.gov), and the Washington Park Association and Little Italy newsletters.

Discover Historic Waterford, New York!

2007-06-25T18:30:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite places in New York State's Capital District is the village of Waterford. Situated at the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers and Erie and Champlain Canals, this historic village is still relatively unknown, even to Capital District natives. As far as I'm concerned, and perhaps selfishly so, that's just as well -- it is a charming, pedestrian-oriented village, with a great visitor center, historical museum, waterfront promenade, boat launch, docks, and waterfront parks, as well as pleasant, walkable residential neighborhoods and a small commercial district.

Both the Town and Village of Waterford have spent the last fifteen years working hard to complete improvements and their hard work is finally beginning to pay off. Recent improvements have included completion of the waterfront visitors center and parking area; the waterfront promenade, boat launch, and docks; pocket parks along the waterfront; beautification of the Hudson River parks on the north and south sides of Broad Street; new commercial development including McGrievey's Pub, residential and facade improvements; and streetscape improvements.

Upcoming downtown and waterfront events include:

June 30th-July 2nd - Steamboat Meet (including great fireworks)
July & August, Sunday afternoons, 2:30-4:30 p.m., Concerts in the Park
July 21st - Classic Car Show
August 7th - National Night Out
August 10th - Concert Under the Stars
August 10th-12th - Canal Splash
September 7th-9th - Tug Boat Roundup
September 22nd-23rd - Great Village Sellout (garage sales)
October 13th - Heritage Day
October 2oth - Pumpkinfest

Waterford is a great place to spend the day. You can visit the sites mentioned above; walk along the Hudson and Mohawk River waterfronts (as well as along the Erie and Champlain Canals); visit the Waterford Historical Museum & Cultural Center; picnic; shop at the village's antique stores; grab a meal at McGrievey's, Broad Street Cafe, Joe & Don's, Kielty's or Mr. Subb; walk or bicycle along the Champlain Canal; and walk, bicycle or drive along the Erie Canal's flight of five locks (to name a few things). Bike trails and bridges connect Waterford to Troy (Lansingburgh), Cohoes, including Peebles Island State Park.

For more information, call 518-233-9123 or visit the Town of Waterford's web site (www.town.waterford.ny.us).

Waterford, NY: Canal and River Town’s History Explored

2007-06-25T18:27:00.000-05:00

Canals and rivers have shaped Waterfordians’ experience throughout the community’s history. The Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center is sponsoring a walking tour of the Village of Waterford that will explore the history and architecture that was influenced in so many ways by the rivers and canals that surround the community. The tour will be lead by long-time Waterford resident and heritage area specialist, Lucy Breyer.

The Museum is sponsoring the walk in conjunction with the Waterford Steamboat Meet on June 30th. The walk is free of charge and participants are asked to meet at the south end of Third Street in the Village of Waterford (along the waterfront) at 9a.m. The tour will start shortly after 9am and will take about one hour.

The Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center is located in the 1830 Hugh White Homestead on Museum Lane in the Town of Waterford. The Museum offers various programs and exhibits year round. For more information about the Museum and its programs please contact the Museum at 238-0809 or check our website www.waterfordmuseum.com.

Job: PLNYS - Regional Director of Technical and Grant Programs

2007-06-25T18:17:00.000-05:00

THE POSITION:

The Preservation League is seeking an experienced preservation professional who will serve as the League's primary field services staff person for Eastern New York, New York City and Long Island. This is a senior position at the League that requires a trained preservation professional with extensive knowledge of historic preservation theory and practice. The Regional Director will work directly with local communities, organizations, individuals and elected officials on all aspects of historic preservation and community development. The Director will also manage established League grant and assistance programs in their territory. This position reports to the Preservation League's President and works in tandem with the Regional Director of Technical and Grant Programs for Western and Central New York. This is a full-time position located in Albany, New York and requires regular travel within the territory.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

A degree in historic preservation or a closely related field; graduate degree preferred.
Minimum 5 years of professional experience in the historic preservation field.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provide technical preservation assistance to individuals, organizations and municipalities seeking creative solutions to preservation challenges.
Advise and assist local and regional preservation organizations and citizen groups on strategies to increase their effectiveness.
Identify statewide and regional preservation challenges and develop tools, programs, and workshops, to address them.
Administer key League programs including the Preserve New York Grant Program, the Seven to Save Endangered Properties Program and the Preservation Colleagues Program that provides training to preservation groups.

SKILLS REQUIRED:

Ability to work constructively as part of a team.
Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
Confident public speaking skills.
A solid understanding of historic preservation principles and practices.
Strong computer skills.

THE ORGANIZATION:

The Preservation League of New York State is the
private, not-for-profit, statewide advocate dedicated to the
protection of New York's diverse and rich heritage of historic
buildings, districts, and landscapes. Founded in 1974, the League
gives voice to New York's historic resources. We partner with public
and private organizations, agencies, and individuals in communities
throughout the Empire State who are working to ensure the future of
their historic resources. The League advances effective public
policies, provides expert legal and technical assistance, targets
grants to local communities, builds the capacity of local preservation
groups, and focuses public attention on threatened properties.

CONTACT:

Send cover letter, resume, and the names of three
references by Monday, July 9th to:
Regional Director Search
Preservation League of NYS
44 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
Tel: 518-462-5658 ext 13, www.preservenys.org

Calling Trader Joe's...

2007-06-08T16:15:00.001-05:00

Trader Joe's in Troy? Not Yet
Developer courts grocery for growing downtown area, but upscale chain is not interested so far

From The Times Union

By Chris Churchill
6/08/07

TROY -- A Trader Joe's in downtown Troy? Developer Jeffrey Pfeil would like to see it, and so would some other people.

Pfeil has been unable to convince the upscale grocery chain that the Capital Region is a suitable market. But he is still trying to lure a small grocer to the Troy building he is redeveloping at Third and State streets.

That five-story structure, formerly home to Stanley's Department Store, will have apartments on the top floors and 7,500 square feet of retail space at ground level. Dubbed The Conservatory, the first residents will begin moving in this month. Retail space could be ready for occupancy within three months.

And a grocery could answer a frequent complaint among central Troy residents frustrated by a lack of easy food options.

It also could provide competition for a food co-op planned for Congress Street not far from Pfeil's building.

Pfeil, though, said he believes his building's grocery could complement a co-op. And at least one Troy resident involved in the co-op effort would welcome a commercial grocery -- especially if it is Trader Joe's.

"Everyone in Troy would love to have a Trader Joe's," said Kevin Blodgett. "So many people from here have called them."

California-based Trader Joe's is expanding rapidly on the East Coast. It has locations in metropolitan New York and Boston, as well as in Connecticut and western Massachusetts.

A Trader Joe's spokesperson declined to comment.

The business data site Hoovers.com says the grocer is best known for its private-label health foods, organic produce and nutritional supplements. A typical store is 10,000 square feet.

"We talk to them regularly," Pfeil said. "But they haven't seen this market as one they're targeting yet."

The company apparently has few qualms about locating in New York's Manhattan or Westchester County, where incomes and population density can help ensure the profits. But Pfeil said he thinks the reluctance to come to upstate is due partly to New York's liquor laws, which would prevent the company from selling wine, including the popular Charles Shaw brand. Best known as "Two-Buck Chuck," the inexpensive wine is sold exclusively in Trader Joe's stores.

Pfeil's Troy location lacks parking, which might also give grocery owners pause. But he points out that urban grocery stores thrive in other parts of the country.

Pfeil, a principal in J.W. Pfeil & Co. Inc. in Saratoga Springs, is a real estate developer and leasing agent. He brought national retailers such as Eddie Bauer and Banana Republic to downtown Saratoga Springs, despite their initial reluctance.
Pfeil thinks they'll eventually come to downtown Troy, too, and doesn't exclude the possibility they'll occupy one of the spaces in his building.

"They'll do it someday," he said. "It's just a matter of when."

Loft Development in Another Troy Industrial Building

2007-06-08T16:05:00.001-05:00

From Troy Record
By Danielle Sanzone; photograph by Mike McMahon.

6/08/07

TROY - The former Mooradians' furniture store on River Street, a 117-year-old Italianate-style building, will soon be home to 48 loft-style residential units ranging in price from $200,000 to $550,000, officials announced at a formal gathering Thursday evening.

The upscale abodes, which will be called "the mooradian lofts," should be completed by the end of next year, said Pietro Costa, one of the partners with the New Amsterdam Development Corp., which is transforming the historic building into modern lofts.

"There is no other housing like this in the capital region," Costa, a native of the Netherlands, said. "We feel there will be a large market for this type of housing with professionals, employees at the local colleges, baby-boomers and empty-nesters. Anyone who wants to experience living in a downtown atmosphere will appreciate the mooradian lofts. We are bringing chic, urban living back to this area."

While the development has received the appropriate permits and zoning approvals from the city, developers are still waiting for the final approval from the state attorney general before they can accept offers to purchase the lofts which range from 1,100 square feet to 1,600 square feet, officials said.

Following Thursday's event, however, the building's owners will begin to accept tentative reservations for people interested in purchasing the units. TL Metzger & Associates has been chosen by the developers as the exclusive broker from this project.

At Thursday's event, locals were able to tour through a couple floors of the building and see a model unit of what the loft residences could look like.

"It is very humbling seeing this vision turned into a reality," said Mayor Harry Tutunjian. "It will be great having this type of loft living available in our city."

The developers are still taking comments and suggestions from prospective buyers, but the current loft designs include units with two bathrooms, a kitchen, a loft storage area, and an open space with movable walls. The flexible walls are meant to appeal to all types of people - those with children can make another room with the walls, while single professionals can store the walls away and live in a true loft residence, said Pietro.

"We are a pioneer in loft-style housing in the city of Troy. There are no riverside residences like this in the Capital District," Costa said, referring to the Powers Park Lofts also located in the city but without a river view.

The eight-story brick building, which will include six stories of housing units, will also house a café and marketplace on the first floor with a terrace overlooking the Hudson River. The retail area will include a farmer's market-type space for local vendors and artists to sell their wares, officials said.

"As a woman who grew up in Troy, it is amazing to see this come to fruition since I know it will help revitalize the surrounding area," said Dorothy Ganz, one of the people touring the building. "It is great to see this old building turned into something new instead of torn down like so many other historic buildings in the city. I would definitely live here - it would be great to not worry about the upkeep of a house and to be able to do my shopping in the same building that I lived."

In addition to Thursday's event to showcase the new housing units, an open house is also scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

Flag Day Parade and Gelato!!

2007-06-08T15:43:00.001-05:00

I've been on the road again and apologize for not posting; with school out and summer nearly upon us, I will probably be posting less frequently anyway.

Having said that, I wanted to remind everyone that it is almost time for my favorite event of the year, Troy's annual Flag Day Parade (photograph here from City of Troy's Flag Day Parade web page). Troy's most enduring event, the Troy Flag Day Parade is now in its 40th continuous year and is the largest parade in the nation in honor of the American flag. The 2007 edition of the Troy Flag Day Parade takes place Sunday, June 10th with a line up of exciting attractions. The Parade steps off at 1:00pm Sunday, June 10th with many new attractions added to the line-up. It follows a two mile route along 4th Street beginning in South Troy at 4th & Main Street and ending at 4th & Federal Street. Following the parade, a festa with great food and music will be held at the Italian Community Center.

The parade is maintained only by public donations and corporate sponsorship; hence, community support is critical to keeping this wonderful tradition flourishing. Contributors see their dollars at work every time the parade passes by. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law and may be mailed to the Troy Flag Day Parade Committee, P.O. Box 56 Troy, NY 12181. Make checks payable to Troy Flag Day Fund Drive.

It is always a great, and very well attended event. Those living on Fourth Street should remember to move their cars, as the street cleaners will come through in the early a.m. Then the street venders will start patrolling the street selling their wares and making noise to call attention to themselves, while parade viewers will stake out viewing spots and seating arrangements early in the day.

Also, I just made another visit to L&S Garden Supply on Pawling Avenue this afternoon. L&S is a great place to stop by if your farmers' market produce runs out mid-week--or anytime. In addition to a great supply of bedding plants (flowers and herbs), Steve continues to have good produce (currently including asparagus, raspberries, strawberries and tomatoes among other things) and has recently added GELATO and espresso to his offerings. Having sampled a combo half chocolate half coffee gelato, I can attest that it is delicious and perfect on a day like today. Flavors include chocolate, coffee, caramel, strachiatella, and tiramisu; dairy free flavors are mango, lemon, strawberry and raspberry, if I remember correctly. So please stop by and tell Steve I sent you.

Update on Albany's Wellington Row

2007-05-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

From The Times Union

By Paul Grondahl, photograph by Michael P. Farrell.
05/29/07

ALBANY -- For 10 years, architect William Brandow has walked to work past the five forlorn buildings known as Wellington Row.

Brandow -- a savior of old buildings by temperament -- looked beyond moldering columns, pigeon droppings and moss growing on lintels. He focused instead on two centuries of exceptional architectural history embedded in the derelict structures that command the crest of State Street hill in the shadow of the Capitol.

"These buildings show the evolution of Albany's most important street," Brandow said. "Wellington Row is where the wealthiest citizens of Albany lived in the early 1800s and it's where the street first made the shift from residential to commercial."

Here is where John Taylor Cooper, from the famed Coopers of Cooperstown, settled in a sumptuous town house at 134 State St. In 1832, he hired the noted architect, James Dakin, to remodel the 1820s house into a stunning Greek Revival residence befitting Cooper's social status.

Next door, the first two floors of the old Christian Brothers Academy bear remnants of a Federal-style town house built during the 19th century.

Similarly, at 140 State St., the defunct Berkshire Hotel includes a superstructure built around a Federal town house.

Over the years, instead of tearing down the residences, new commercial buildings were simply constructed above and around them, leaving the low-slung and ornate edifices embedded in the high-rises.

At 138 State St., the Renaissance Revival flourishes of the early 20th century Elks Lodge were created by the New York City architectural firm of M.L. and H.C. Emory.
"There's not a city in the world that wouldn't love to have those two buildings (138 and 140 State) next to each other, whether it be Paris or New York City," Brandow said.

In 2000, the Preservation League of New York State placed Wellington Row on its list of the most critical buildings across the state to be saved.

Last November, Wellington Row was bought for $925,000 by Columbia Development Cos. from London-based Sebba Rockaway Ltd. (which had paid $1.75 million in 1987).
Now, hopes are high among preservationists that the historic character of the buildings can be saved.

Columbia has proposed building a $60 million, 14-story office tower with street-level shops and condominiums. The Albany developer has said it wants to preserve the exterior facades of the Wellington Hotel and two other buildings.

Discussions are under way regarding specifics of the project between the developer, city officials and representatives of Historic Albany Foundation. Details of those negotiations are not being released, and Columbia officials were not available to discuss their plans.

"Keeping just the facade is one of my least favorite choices and the buildings would be much more stable keeping three walls as opposed to one," said Susan Holland, executive director of Historic Albany. "I'm an eternal optimist. I believe the city and the developers are very sensitive and will come up with a great project we can all support."

Brandow's boss, architect Jack Waite -- who has won historic preservation honors for his firm's work at Tweed Courthouse, Baltimore Cathedral, George Washington's home in Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and other historic structures -- feels a sense of urgency about Wellington Row's fate.

"We can't afford to lose those buildings. There's no reason they can't be saved," Waite said. "Wellington Row forms a very important part of the downtown Albany streetscape on one of the great streets in America in terms of intact architecture."

The site has been both a blessing and a curse for the city as far back as 1980, when the buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1986, the Wellington closed, bringing an end to a downtown fixture that had been home to generations of out-of-town visitors, University at Albany students and future governors Mario Cuomo and George Pataki.

When Sebba Rockaway bought the Wellington and two other buildings, it announced plans to tear them down and to build a new office tower. The London developer and the city squared off and their battle raged for years, while the vacant, boarded-up structures continued to slide into severe disrepair due to the elements and neglect.

Mayor Jerry Jennings' 1994 Capitalize Albany plan, which featured a revitalized Wellington Row as the centerpiece of a tree-lined expanse of stores and outdoor cafes, receded further and further into the background.

With Columbia's new ownership, coupled with a $2.5 million state grant to assist stabilization of the cluster of buildings, a clearer picture of Wellington Row's future should emerge soon, said Michael Yevoli, Albany's commissioner of development and planning.

"The developer is analyzing the structural and economic feasibility of as much preservation as possible," Yevoli said. "Preserving and re-using the buildings back into the fabric of the street would be a win-win for everybody."

Architectural historian Walter Wheeler, who has for years studied Wellington Row out of personal curiosity, wants as much of the buildings as possible to be preserved.

"They're fine buildings with nice proportions, good scale, excellent materials and wonderful use of shadow and light," Wheeler said.

"To settle only for the facades is rather defeatist," he said. "I think we can do better than what you see in parts of Boston, where they preserved little four-story ciphers as facades fronting 40-story buildings. Those facades are token symbols that are basically meaningless."

Forthcoming: A History of the Pentagon

2007-05-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's Washington Post included a fascinating excerpt from the forthcoming Random House book, The Pentagon: A History, by Steve Vogel. I have included the first section of the lengthy excerpt here; to read the rest, follow the link at the bottom of this post.

How the Pentagon Got Its Shape

On a warm and rainy Thursday evening in July 1941, inside a War Department office in Washington, a small group of Army officers hastily assembled for a meeting and listened in disbelief to the secret plan outlined by their commander.

The general spoke in the velvety Southern accent of his native Arkansas. He was not in uniform -- Army policy kept officers in civilian clothes so as to disguise from Congress the burgeoning military population in Washington -- but he cut an immaculate figure, with his trim build, combed-back, graying hair and neatly groomed mustache. Over the past eight months, the officers of the Army's Construction Division had grown accustomed to bold and quick action from their chief. At age 49, Brig. Gen. Brehon Burke Somer-vell had earned a reputation as a smooth but ruthless operator. "Dynamite in a Tiffany box" was how an associate later described him. Now Somervell turned his eyes -- "the keenest, shrewdest, most piercing eyes one is likely to meet," in the words of one observer -- toward his chief of design, Lt. Col. Hugh "Pat" J. Casey.

The War Department needed a new headquarters, Somervell said. The building he wanted to create was too big to fit in Washington and would have to go across the Potomac River in Arlington. It would be far larger than all the great structures of the city, including the U.S. Capitol. Somervell wanted a headquarters big enough to hold 40,000 people, with parking for 10,000 cars. It would contain 4 million square feet of office space -- almost twice as much as the Empire State Building. Yet it must be no more than four stories high -- a tall building would obstruct views of Washington and require too much steel, urgently needed for battleships and weapons.

The War Department would occupy the new headquarters within half a year, Somervell instructed. "We want 500,000 square feet ready in six months, and the whole thing ready in a year," the general said. Somervell ended the meeting with orders to have the basic design plans for the building by Monday morning.

Washington was consumed by war anxiety. Three weeks earlier, Adolf Hitler, already in control of much of Europe, had launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union. President Franklin D. Roose-velt, alarmed by Nazi gains, had declared a national emergency on May 27. The War Department in Washington was growing at an explosive rate, its 24,000 workers spread in 17 buildings, including apartment buildings, private homes and several rented garages. Gen. George C. Marshall, the Army chief of staff, needed a quick solution and turned to Somervell to construct temporary buildings for the headquarters. At a congressional hearing July 17, Rep. Clifton A. Woodrum, a powerful Virginia congressman, signaled interest in finding an "overall solution" to the War Department's problem. Somervell took that as a signal for a permanent fix, and the Pentagon, as it would become known, was launched that evening.

The first problem was where to put it -- "incidentally, the largest office building in the world," Casey later noted dryly. Energetic and experienced, Casey was one of the Army's most brilliant engineers, and he quickly saw big problems with the location Somervell had chosen. Washington-Hoover Airport, at the foot of the 14th Street Bridge in Arlington, had just been replaced with a modern airfield, National Airport, about a mile downriver. Somervell -- eager to win the Virginian's blessing for the project -- had seized upon the old airport site, but the low-lying land, which was subject to flooding, worried Casey.

When Casey asked Somervell whether other sites near the airport might be used, the general did not rule it out. Scanning a map, Casey's practiced eye quickly zeroed in on a 67-acre tract about a half-mile upriver from Washington-Hoover. It was Arlington Farm, just east of Arlington National Cemetery. Like the adjacent cemetery, the land had been part of the grand estate of Robert E. Lee that had been confiscated by Union troops in the spring of 1861 for the defense of Washington. In 1900, Congress transferred 400 acres of the Arlington estate to the Department of Agriculture to use as an experimental farm. In September 1940, Roosevelt approved the return of Arlington Farm to the War Department for use by infantry and cavalry troops at neighboring Fort Myer. Perched on a hill above the Potomac, just below the Lee mansion and overlooking Memorial Bridge, Arlington Farm was one of the most prominent sites in the Washington area.

Late on Friday afternoon, July 18, George Edwin Bergstrom got to work. A formal man with a brusque manner, his dark hair whitening at the temples, Bergstrom was an accomplished and experienced architect, now in charge of the largest project of his long career. He gathered with his assistants at the division headquarters.

Bergstrom led the deliberations. The restrictions were confounding, given the space they needed. The easiest solution, constructing a tall building, was out. They would have to spread out horizontally. But how? A square building that size -- with the enormous interior distances to be covered -- was too unwieldy, as was a rectangle. The Arlington Farm tract had a peculiar asymmetrical pentagon shape bound on five sides by roads or other divisions. Finally, guided by the odd shape of the plot, they designed an irregular pentagon. A sketch by Socrates Thomas Stathes, a young War Department draftsman, showed a square with a corner cut off, more or less matching the tract's shape. It was really two buildings, a five-sided ring surrounding a smaller one of the same shape.

All through the weekend, the architects refined the design. The interior of the outer ring was lined with 49 barracks-like wings, sticking in like the teeth of a comb. The smaller ring had 34 exterior wings, all pointing toward the outer ring. The wings were 50 feet wide and 160 feet long, separated from each other by 30-foot-wide open-air "light courts." Corridors connected the two rings on the ground and third floors. Only the most senior officials would have private offices. Allowing 100 square feet per worker, the building could hold 40,000 employees.

There were many problems with the irregular design. The pattern was awkward, and the routes between wings of the two buildings were circuitous. Lacking symmetry, with rows of wings sticking out, the building was frankly quite ugly. Yet, given the site, the pentagonal design had one overriding virtue, Stathes remembered more than 60 years later: "It fit."

The whole idea seemed nonsensical to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. The War Department had just opened a new building the previous month in Foggy Bottom, but it had quickly proven inadequate and too small. How could the War Department propose to build a new headquarters so soon?

Read the full article and find additional information.

Renaissance Fest and Medieval Concert at Historic Oakwood Cemetery

2007-05-28T16:16:00.000-05:00

Speaking of historic Oakwood Cemetery, I forgot to mention the upcoming Renaissance Fest and Medieval Concert that will be held on Saturday, June 16th.

The cemetery's Oakwood Avenue entrance will be transformed in time as the grounds play host to a Renaissance Fair...The day will begin with a Renaissance Fest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. With the historic Gardner Earl Memorial Chapel as a backdrop, enjoy jousting matches between knights in shinging armor, games reconfigured to the 17th century, period costumes and craft, art and food vendors.

This is a first-time fair at Oakwood as well as a fun-filled and educational fundraiser for the continuing restoration of the chapel. Cost is $8/adult, $5/child under 12, and free for children under 5. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. This event will be cancelled by heavy rain only.

Following the Renaissance Fair, find a seat inside the Gardner Earl Memorial Chapel for a concert by Adirondack Baroque Consort at 4 p.m. Sitting between Tiffany windows and beautiful mosaics, listen as the musicians describe individual features of the instruments they play. Children 8 years and older are welcomed. Cost is $10 for adults and $6 for 8-18 year olds. Because seating is limited, attendees must call 1-800-556-6273 to register.

Also of note, Oakwood will be conducting a national architectural competition for an internationally-significant memorial at Uncle Sam's gravesite. It "will tell the story of Samuel Wilson's life, and the evolution of the "Uncle Sam" symbol...For additional information (introduction, objectives, fees and application, schedule, design requirements, jury and awards, map and photographs, visit Oakwood's web site.

For additional entertainment options on June 16th, the City of Troy's 4th Annual River Street Festival will also be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Musical acts will include They Might Be Giants, Tally Hall, Stars of Track & Field, Mint and Last November.

Blog readers interested in cemetery history and preservation may also wish to read Rows of New Markers, and Untold Sacrifice by Civil War Soldiers, an article and multimedia presentation by Glenn Collins in today's New York Times. The article describes the remarkable efforts of more than a hundred volunteers in Brooklyn, New York's historic Green-Wood Cemetery to locate graves, research soldiers' lives, and preserve the gravesites. Green-Wood Cemetery is a National Historic Landmark.

Oakwood Cemetery and Troy's New "Veggie Mobile"

2007-05-26T16:57:00.000-05:00

Everyone should know by now that I love Troy and try to promote it whenever I can, but imagine my surprise (and pleasure) to discover Troy featured prominently in not one, but TWO articles in yesterday's New York Times.

Major kudos and props to our friend and tireless promoter of historic Oakwood Cemetery, Theresa Page, President of the Troy Cemetery Association, and Amy Klein, Executive Director of Capital District Community Gardens. They are among the many people who are working hard to improve the City of Troy and keep things moving forward.

Here are the articles:

In Need of Income, Cemeteries Are Seeking Breathing Clientele

By Patricia Leigh Brown; photography by R.J. Mickelson.
05/25/07

[NB: Online version includes a "Graveyard Travels" slide show obviously not included in the print version]

PHILADELPHIA — The dinner was first-class, with butlers serving hors d’oeuvres and the strains of “Blue Danube” tastefully muffling the festive din. This nine-course re-creation of the last supper aboard an ill-fated ocean liner was the culmination of Titanic Day at Laurel Hill Cemetery, one of a growing number of historic cemeteries to rebrand themselves as destination necropolises for weekend tourists.

Historic cemeteries, desperate for money to pay for badly needed restorations, are reaching out to the public in ever more unusual ways, with dog parades, bird-watching lectures, Sunday jazz concerts, brunches with star chefs, Halloween parties in the crematory and even a nudie calendar. Laurel Hill, the resting place of six Titanic victims, promotes itself as an “underground museum.” The sold-out Titanic dinner, including a tour of mausoleums, joined the “Dead White Republicans” tour (“the city’s power brokers, in all their glory and in all their shame”), the “Birding Among the Buried” tour, and “Sinners, Scandals and Suicides,” including a visit to the grave of “a South Philly gangster who got whacked when he tried to infiltrate the Schuylkill County numbers racket.”

As Americans choose cremation in record numbers, Victorian cemeteries like Laurel Hill and Green-Wood in Brooklyn are repositioning themselves for the afterlife: their own. Repositories of architectural and sculptural treasures, like Tiffany windows and weeping marble maidens atop tombs, the cemeteries face dwindling endowments, years of vandalism and neglect, shrinking space for new arrivals and a society that, until recently, collectively distanced itself from their meandering byways.

Although their individual circumstances vary — Green-Wood in Brooklyn, a newly crowned National Historic Landmark, has space for two more years of in-ground burial, while Laurel Hill is virtually full — what they share is a daunting number of tombs in need of repair. Woodlawn, in the Bronx, the final home of Whitneys, a Woolworth, Jay Gould and jazz greats like Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton, has 95,000 grave sites.

Only 9,000 have endowments, said Susan Olsen, the executive director of the Friends of Woodlawn. “You’re a conservator,” Ms. Olsen said. “You can’t have someone up there with a bottle of Windex cleaning a Tiffany window.”

The new cemetery tourism — a subterranean version of the History Channel — is also a means of developing brand loyalty in the wake of what Joseph Dispenza, president of the historic Forest Lawn in Buffalo, calls a “diminishing customer base.”

Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, Calif., a columbarium designed by Julia Morgan, architect of San Simeon, recently started “Jazz at the Chimes” concerts to reach culture enthusiasts who might be potential customers.

Some cemeteries are betting on infotainment. At Heritage Day last weekend at the 200-year-old Congressional Cemetery in Washington, a 70-piece marching band serenaded the grave of John Philip Sousa, and dog owners held a parade for dogs dressed as historical cemetery personages, including a Union soldier.

A decade ago, prostitutes and packs of wild dogs populated the city’s oldest burial ground, which has monuments designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, designer of the Capitol. Then the preservation association began courting dog owners. Today, the 33-acre cemetery serves as a historical dog park where dogs run in Elysian fields, free to commune with the headstones. Owners pay $125 a year for the privilege, plus $40 a dog — bringing in $80,000 so far. In many ways, it is a throwback to the days of old, when then-rural cemeteries like Green-Wood and Mount Auburn in Cambridge, Mass. (1831), rivaled Niagara Falls as romantic tourist destinations. These “gardens of graves” were settings for Sunday picnics and a precursor to Central Park and other great public spaces.

Like many vintage cemeteries, Laurel Hill languished for years in a struggling urban neighborhood, as potential customers drifted to the suburbs. Though the cemetery has a $17 million endowment, most of that is earmarked for specific family tombs and falls woefully short of what is needed for maintenance. “After 170 years, people lose track” of their loved ones, said Ross L. Mitchell, the executive director.

And with only 1 percent of its 78 acres available for new burial, cemetery officials are trying to think of creative ways to mine its distinctive personality. The Titanic tour was the brainchild of J. Joseph Edgette, a professor at nearby Widener University who is tracking the graves of Titanic victims and plans to document all 2,200. “We’re rebranding ourselves as a heritage tourism destination,” Mr. Mitchell said.

For Jason Crabtree, a 33-year-old software writer, and his wife, Melissa, 29, this storied rural resting place, established in 1836, offered “a cross-section of humanity you don’t usually see,” said Mr. Crabtree, explaining the couple’s predilection for weekend cemetery visits.

At a daffodil brunch in April at the Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, N.Y., omelet chefs whisked eggs amid Siena marble walls and soaring Tiffany windows, in the Gardner Earl Memorial Chapel and Crematorium. The 1848 cemetery has burial space for the next 200 years and an annual operating deficit of more than $100,000, according to Theresa Page, president of the board of trustees.

Its preservation issues are dire: volunteers have been clearing brush that made about 10,000 graves invisible. The grave site of Samuel Wilson, the man behind “Uncle Sam,” America’s national symbol, has been inaccessible for years, since 125-year-old water pipes burst beneath the roads. The cemetery has asked Congress for $1.7 million for reconstruction.

To raise its profile and money, Oakwood will stage a Renaissance fair this summer, with jousting matches among knights in shining armor. It was inspired by a medieval-style wedding there, for which the groom made his own armor.

“We want them to think, ‘Wow, I think I’d like to spend my eternity here,’ ” Ms. Page said of efforts to lure visitors. “It’s a way of saying, ‘We would love you to stay with us permanently.’ ”

Certain cemeteries, like Père-Lachaise in Paris, Arlington National Cemetery in Washington and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans, have always had celebrity cachet. But the past decade has seen a deliberate marketing of cultural status. At the 175-year-old Mount Auburn, it has meant lectures on the warbler migration by the Massachusetts Audubon Society; at Spring Grove in Cincinnati, tourists in electric trams ride past the grave of Salmon P. Chase, the founder of the Internal Revenue Service (they usually boo).

Forest Lawn in Buffalo spent $1.2 million to erect the Blue Sky mausoleum, a spare design by Frank Lloyd Wright, with 24 crypts from $125,000 to $300,000. Each crypt-owner will receive a Steuben glass sculpture of their eternal home-in-waiting. “It’s about exclusivity,” Mr. Dispenza of Forest Lawn said. “It’s about being one of the 24.”

Gary Laderman, a professor of religion at Emory University and the author of “Rest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in the 20th Century” (Oxford University Press, 2003), says there is “a sense in which, like sex, death sells.” But he also sees cemetery tourism as a chance for civic engagement. The mobility of society and the growth of the death care industry have served to isolate these historically significant places from the mainstream, Mr. Laderman said.

That attitude may be shifting. Laurel Hill, for example, was awarded a $97,000 grant to provide grief counseling for inner-city children grappling with the effects of gun violence.

Of course, some think that cemeteries are sacred spaces, and that Halloween flashlight tours and historical re-enactors jumping out from behind tombs crosses the line in taste.

A 2005 fund-raising calendar for Oakwood Cemetery in Troy — inspired by the movie “Calendar Girls” and featuring socialites who appeared to be naked — was a tad too risqué to repeat, some thought. After objections, Green-Wood scuttled plans to show horror films.

“The cemetery doesn’t have an obligation to entertain,” said Thomas Lynch, a funeral director and writer in Michigan.

Preservationists say desperate times require desperate measures. And “Birding Among the Buried” brings people in, if only for a look.

“The people who built Laurel Hill wanted these monuments to be seen,” said Mr. Mitchell of Laurel Hill. “If we do nothing, isn’t that the ultimate disrespect?”

Troy Journal: Off the Back Of a Truck, And Healthy

By Dennis Gaffney
05/25/07

For the past month, Eric J. Krans has been driving a truck through the heart of this old industrial city, delivering much of what has vanished from the store shelves here over the past half-century — fresh produce, from lettuce, carrots and collard greens to mangoes, plantains and pineapple.

“There’s the peaches everyone was wanting,” said Carolyn Moses, 64, the first person to climb into the box truck one recent afternoon, as she poked around the wooden crates. Then she pulled open a refrigerated case and shouted to no one in particular, “Tomatoes are 79 cents a pound, everyone.”

It is a new service, begun by a nonprofit organization, to promote healthier eating.

What would seem to be a pretty mundane find by most shoppers’ standards is anything but in downtown Troy and other poor urban neighborhoods in New York State where there are no supermarkets.

In Troy, about 10 miles north of Albany, for example, supermarkets are clustered on the outskirts, where the city begins to transform into suburbs.

According to an informal survey in 2005 by the Capital District Community Gardens, a nonprofit agency, not one of the seven urban neighborhoods in Troy and in nearby Schenectady and Albany that the Veggie Mobile serves had a supermarket within four miles.

That is why the organization established the Veggie Mobile, which cruises the streets on a rotating schedule three days a week, selling freshly grown local produce. On one additional day, it offers samples and gives away fresh fruit and vegetables, hoping to get people to expand their food choices.

“We’re trying to give people in inner-city neighborhoods access to affordable fresh produce,” said Amy Klein, executive director of the community gardens.

Ms. Klein said she got the idea for the Veggie Mobile several years ago, after reading about a truck known as the People’s Grocery that served healthy foods in poor neighborhoods in West Oakland, Calif.

“I thought, ‘We can do that with vegetables,’ ” she said, “because we’re all about vegetables here.”

She said the Veggie Mobile was a natural extension of the work done by her organization, which has attracted 3,000 families to grow fruits and vegetables in 46 community gardens in the Albany area.

Impressed by the notion, the State Department of Health provided a $500,000 grant over five years.

As the Veggie Mobile drives through downtown Troy to its first stop, it passes a natural-foods store, a misnomer, in Mr. Krans’s opinion. “They sell dried fruits, nuts and supplements,” he says. “But fresh produce they do not have.” And no supermarket.

Stephen Matthews, an associate professor of sociology at Pennsylvania State University who studies food landscapes, says sociologists call such places, whether urban or rural, “food deserts,” where, if there are any food stores, they are corner groceries, where produce is more expensive or nonexistent.

Instead, Dr. Matthews said, residents of poor urban areas are surrounded by fast food restaurants, whose fare he said contributes to obesity and a host of other health problems.

Ms. Klein of the community gardens said: “As a nation, we’re concerned with obesity, heart disease, diabetes. These health issues are tied to healthy eating. And we know our consumption of fruits and vegetables isn’t what it needs to be.”

As the Veggie Mobile pulled up to one of its scheduled stops, John F. Kennedy Towers, a housing development for the elderly, “That’s Life” by Frank Sinatra blared from speakers mounted on the front.

Like a grandson, Mr. Krans escorted people up the ramp into the truck and back down again, offering to carry their bags.

In the first week, Ms. Klein said, there were about 50 customers a week, but in just a month the total number has grown to 400 a week, far beyond expectations.

“It’s getting crazier every time we do this,” Mr. Krans said. “Friends tell friends, neighbors tell neighbors.”

Since the initial run, the selection of produce has been expanded in response to customers’ requests.

Last week, basil, pineapple, oranges, strawberries, mangoes and limes complemented the usual array of offerings.

The plan is to sell produce from local farmers when it becomes available next month.

“We want to contribute to the local farm economy,” Ms. Klein said.

Many Kennedy Towers residents remember when bread and milk trucks, as well as vegetable merchants, cruised the streets, 50 and 60 years ago. “This is the best thing that has happened at Kennedy Towers,” said Lea Allen, 63. “Everything is nice and fresh and reasonable.”

The nearest grocery, just across the street, has a sign above the door: “Groceries, Hot Food, Subs, Beer, Candy and Cigarettes.” But it sells no fresh produce.

After an hour at Kennedy Towers, Mr. Krans headed for the second stop of the afternoon, the parking lot of Carroll Hill Elementary School in South Troy, where nearly two-thirds of the students qualify for free or reduced-cost lunches.

“A lot of parents here don’t have automobiles to get to a large grocery store or a farmer’s market,” said Casey Parker, the school’s principal.

The first week the Veggie Mobile parked at Carroll Hill, a neighborhood resident, Lori Filuta, predicted that children would be drawn to it as if it were stocked with ice cream.

“The parents work,” Ms. Filuta said. “But you’ll see. The kids will be here buying fruit.”

Soon, two regulars, Nick Mariano and Matthew Murray, both 12, showed up with enough change for a half-dozen oranges, which they wasted no time peeling and eating.

Aimie Thorsey, the director of Hope 7, an after-school program at Carroll Hill, said she came each week with a dozen or so children who brought spare change from home.

“Each of them usually leaves with an apple or a banana,” Ms. Thorsey said. One week, “kiwi was a big hit.”

Nine-year-old Billy recently tried his first mango. “I liked it better than a banana,” he said.

Ms. Klein is pleased. “Any way we can break down barriers to healthier foods,” she said, “aids people on their way to healthier lifestyles.”

Economic Values and Impacts: Natural Resources, the Arts, and Historic Preservation

2007-05-25T10:43:00.000-05:00

Two interesting studies came out this week, one documenting the economic value of natural resources and another documenting the economic benefits of the arts.

In From Beaches to Pine Barrens, a Study Puts Values on New Jersey's Natural Assets (by Pam Belluck; photograph by Keith Meyers), the New York Times reports, for example, that the "Pine Barrens...have an environmental value of about $1,476 an acre a year, based on their ability to provide the earth with water, animal habitat and pollination...The report, by economists commissioned by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, tries to put a dollar value on the state's natural resources, from the Jersey Shore to the Kittatinny Mountains, to places like, well, Weehawken. Beaches like Sandy Hook and Sea Girt, with their environmentally essential sand dunes, had the highest value per acre per year, about $42,000..." A highlighted map is included with the online version of the article.

Also, Americans for the Arts recently completed its third economic impact study of the arts, Arts & Economic Prosperity III. The study "reveals that the nonprofit arts industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year, resulting in $29.6 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues. The nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry has grown steadily since the first analysis by Americans for the Arts in 1992, expanding at a rate greater than inflation. Between the second study conducted in 2000 and 2005, spending by organizations and their audiences grew 24 percent, from $134 billion to $166.2 billion in total economic activity—$63.1 billion in spending by organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in event-related spending by their audiences. The total economic activity has a significant national impact, generating the following:

5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs
$104.2 billion in resident household income
$7.9 billion in local government tax revenues
$9.1 billion in state government tax revenues
$12.6 billion in federal government tax revenues

Following the second Americans for the Arts link above, interested readers can download .pdfs of a brochure with study highlights; a summary report with background, scope, and methodology; and the full text of the report (available after June 6th). The study's web page also includes useful tools for "making the case for arts support in your community," including a calculator for estimating the impact of the arts in your community, a downloadable Powerpoint presentation of National Economic Impact findings, a sample opinion-editorial about the study (available June 6th), an ever-expanding toolkit (available June 6th), and much more on the economic impact web page and elsewhere on the organization's web site. Also of interest are Americans for the Arts' new ARTSblog and ARTcast (podcasts). Our New York State readers may also be particularly interested in these highlights from the Museum Association of New York's study Cultural/Heritage Tourism: Opportunity, Impact, Implications.

If you are more interested in the economic impacts of historic preservation, you may wish to review my previous post, Historic Preservation Enhances Quality of Life, Produces Economic Benefits.

And, as always, if you are aware of similar reports and studies, please pass them along and I will try to add links to them.

Troy Night Out: May

2007-05-25T08:42:00.000-05:00

Well, the day promises to be warm and sunny...perfect for tonight's Troy Night Out! This event, in its fourth month, has been a lot of fun. At least 42 Troy venues will be staying open late tonight, offering opportunities to "look, touch, taste, hear..." -- and discover -- new things and new people in Troy. For more information, check the full page advertisement in yesterday's Metroland (page 10) or visit the event's web site.

It has been busy here in Troy...last Friday marked the opening of a new exhibition at the Rensselaer County Historical Society celebrating the 100th anniversary of Prospect Park. The exhibit is a collaboration between RCHS and the Friends of Prospect Park, which also held its annual garden tour fundraiser yesterday.

And, of course, tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market continues at its Hudson River location on the south side of Hedley Park Place. Hope to see you there!

Historic Preservation, the Really Recent Past and Hip Hop

2007-05-22T18:07:00.000-05:00

From The New York Times

Will Gentrification Spoil the Birthplace of Hip Hop?

By David Gonzalez; photograph by Tyler Hicks.
05/21/07

Hip-hop was born in the west Bronx. Not the South Bronx, not Harlem and most definitely not Queens. Just ask anybody at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue — an otherwise unremarkable high-rise just north of the Cross Bronx and hard along the Major Deegan.

“This is where it came from,” said Clive Campbell, pointing to the building’s first-floor community room. “This is it. The culture started here and went around the world. But this is where it came from. Not anyplace else.”

O.K., Mr. Campbell is not just anybody — he is the alpha D.J. of hip-hop. As D.J. Kool Herc, he presided over the turntables at parties in that community room in 1973 that spilled into nearby parks before turning into a global assault. Playing snippets of the choicest beats from James Brown, Jimmy Castor, Babe Ruth and anything else that piqued his considerable musical curiosity, he provided the soundtrack savored by loose-limbed b-boys (a term he takes credit for creating, too).

Mr. Campbell thinks the building should be declared a landmark in recognition of its role in American popular culture. Its residents agree, but for more practical reasons. They want to have the building placed on the National Register of Historic Places so that it might be protected from any change that would affect its character — in this case, a building for poor and working-class families.

Throughout the city, housing advocates said, buildings like 1520 Sedgwick are becoming harder to find as owners opt out of subsidy programs so they can eventually charge higher rents on the open market.

The Sedgwick building is part of the state’s Mitchell-Lama program, in which private landlords who receive tax breaks and subsidized mortgages agree to limit their return on equity and rent to people who meet modest income limits. The contracts allow owners to leave the program and prepay their mortgage loan after 20 years. Rent regulations can protect tenants from increases, but not always.

While Mitchell-Lama buildings in parts of Manhattan, like the Lower East Side, were among the first to leave the program, housing experts say that the trend has spread far beyond, from the Rockaways to the west Bronx.

Tom Waters, a housing policy analyst at the Community Service Society of New York, said there are about 40,000 Mitchell-Lama units in the city, down from 66,000 in 1990. The rate of buildings leaving the program has accelerated since 2001, he said, as landlords find they can do better on the open market.

Labor groups and housing advocates have called for safeguards on moderate-income housing, which they said was essential for the city’s economic health. While the groups have lauded Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg for his commitment to building such housing, they said the State Legislature should address policies that affect the city’s housing market.

“There is no single solution,” said Ed Ott, executive director of the New York City Central Labor Council. “Preservation of currently affordable housing is something we need to look at. Working people are going to have no place to go.”

In February, tenants of the Sedgwick Avenue building, which has 100 units, were told that the owners planned to leave the Mitchell-Lama program. The building’s owners did not respond to several requests for comment for this article.

Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said landlords were entitled by contract to opt out after a set period. He said that if there were concerns about keeping the buildings in the program, the government should consider better incentives.

“Contracts should still mean something,” Mr. Spinola said. “Affordable housing is clearly a problem in the city. I do not believe the social concerns for citizens of the city of New York should fall on the backs of one particular owner when it is a citywide problem.”

The problem has been widespread enough to keep Dina Levy of the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board looking for new strategies to slow it down. The group, a nonprofit housing advocacy organization, is advising the Sedgwick tenants.

“The market is so out of control in every corner of every borough,” said Ms. Levy, director of organizing and policy for the group. “We have run out of land, so anywhere in the boroughs can be the next hot real estate market. That’s why we’re scrambling to find preservation opportunities to keep them affordable.”

That usually involves seeing if there are mortgage requirements or land covenants that mandate the property be used for moderate-income housing, she said. But when tenants of 1520 Sedgwick came to her group in February, organizers stumbled on an interesting fact when they searched for the address online.

“The first hundred hits said ‘birthplace of hip-hop,’ ” said Dan DeSloover, an organizer for the group. “Kool Herc had lived there. That was a great coincidence to have this building be part of that history.”

The idea to have the building declared a landmark as a way of keeping it affordable for moderate-income families developed slowly, as organizers discussed it with tenants and elected officials’ staff members.

Preservationists doubted it would stop the building’s owners from leaving the subsidy program, since the landmark distinction would apply to the structure and not necessarily its use. And there is another obstacle: to be eligible for the National Register, a building normally has to be at least 50 years old. The Sedgwick building falls short of that by 12 years. Exceptions are made for extraordinary cultural significance.

“It is complicated when you try to preserve some other feature of a building besides its architecture,” said Lisa Kersavage, a preservationist at the Municipal Art Society of New York. “But this is a very important cultural touchstone for New York, and awareness should be raised.”

Cindy Campbell, who promoted the first party where her brother spun the tunes, is intent on doing at least that. She hopes that by highlighting the history of the building, where her family lived for nine years, she might be able to enlist big-name rappers to Mayor Bloomberg in her campaign to help the tenants.

She still recalls the first party — on Aug. 11, 1973, she says — which she dreamed up as a way for her to get some extra money for back-to-school clothes.

“I didn’t want to go to Fordham Road to buy clothes because you’d go to school and see everybody with the same thing on,” she said. “I wanted to go to Delancey Street and get something unusual.”

Her brother wound up giving the neighborhood something unusual, too, inside the packed and sweaty community room. Drawing on his wide-ranging musical tastes, he combined sounds and in time those sounds were combined in new ways as he extended the beats to the delight of the dancers.

“It wasn’t a black thing, it was a we thing,” said Mr. Campbell, now 52. “We played everything. Gary Glitter? We rocked that. We schooled people about music.”

Since leaving 1520 Sedgwick, Mr. Campbell has moved to Long Island and has continued spinning tunes. (On Sunday, he was the D.J. for the city’s first Dance Parade, which traveled from Midtown to Lower Manhattan.)

Some old-timers rushed up to him last week when he and his sister visited the building. They told him — to his dismay — that the community room has been closed for renovations since last year.

“All of it came from here,” he said. “From this building. It should be respected.”

Curtis Brown, who was a teenager living a few blocks away during Kool Herc’s heyday, agreed. Mr. Brown went from being a fan to becoming Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers, an early and influential rap group.

“That place means everything,” he said. “You can look at it objectively and say it could have happened somewhere else. Maybe. But this is where it did happen.”

To him it is already a landmark.

“As far as government and what they consider important, who knows?” he said. “But for something that saturated the world culture, that went from one building to the world, I would want to hold on to the historical significance of that building.”

Historic Preservation - McMansion Restrictions

2007-05-22T17:58:00.000-05:00

From The New York Times

Living Larger, and Drawing Fire

By Dan Zegart
05/20/07

Like the many Eskimo words for snow, a multitude of nicknames exist for the oversize houses commonly referred to as McMansions, and they mirror the uneasiness over the spread of the homes.

“You hear them called starter castles, beltway baronials, mini Taj Mahals, but my favorite is parachute homes, because of the disregard for local styles — like they were dropped from the sky,” said Edward J. Trawinski, a lawyer and land-use expert from Morristown, N.J.

Although the names may be amusing, many owners of smaller homes, especially in older communities dominated by more traditional architecture, find it anything but funny when one goes up in their neighborhood. With the proliferation of mammoth residences throughout the suburbs of New York City and beyond, some towns are trying to restrict the size and, sometimes, the look of new homes.

Mr. Trawinski has helped municipalities in northern New Jersey, including Wayne, Montclair and Bergenfield, write such laws, which commonly set maximums for height and square footage on a sliding scale that varies with the lot size. The laws may also dictate the slope of roofs and require side yards to be large enough so the new home does not loom over its neighbors.

Such laws draw sharp dividing lines between some residents and builders. The debate is particularly fierce in towns like Westport, Conn., where builders say smallish lots and high land values make tearing down existing homes and replacing them, often with much larger houses, necessary to provide a reasonable profit.

“I live with these regulations all the time, and they’re so complicated and so hard to understand,” said Rick Benson, a Westport resident and builder. “And now they’re not only getting more complicated, they’re actually regulating taste.” He estimated that he had six houses in various stages of completion; two of them were teardowns. All will be much bigger than those they replaced.

Mr. Benson said builders respond to market demands and contended that Westport’s standards for size were arbitrary. “I just did a 13,000-square-foot house on six to nine acres smack in the middle of town,” he said. “It’s massive. It looks like a hotel in the Adirondacks. Not a peep about that one.”

But the issue of large new houses is so contentious, said Gordon Joseloff, Westport’s first selectman, that two previous efforts to pass a home-size ordinance in Westport were voted down. “The attitude of a lot of people here is, ‘You’re messing with my nest egg,’ ” he said.

The Town of New Castle, N.Y., is grappling with a similar problem as it pushes ahead with a new law based on floor-area ratio that adjusts the allowable size of a house depending on the lot size. It is an approach sanctioned by courts in several states, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and is based on what Mr. Trawinski called a recognition “that it’s not size per se but the perception of size.”

“A big house on a little postage stamp of land just looks terrible,” he said.

But the main goal of such ordinances is not to mandate smaller homes, but to preserve a community’s “streetscape” by preventing houses that are so much larger than the prevailing architecture as to be jarring, said Virginia Kurshan, chairwoman of the Maplewood, N.J., Historic Preservation Commission.

At one extreme, she said, nearby Glen Ridge declared the entire borough a historic district, putting tight restrictions on any building allowed. Maplewood, she said, is considering a less drastic law that might apply to new construction and additions.

Like Maplewood, New Castle has little undeveloped land left, said Frank Annunziata, the town engineer. “Like a lot of towns that are almost completely built out, we’re worried about older, maybe historic houses being knocked down and replaced with something that’s inappropriate and much bigger,” he said. Proposed zoning changes would permit a house of up to 10,391 square feet on four acres; quarter-acre lots would be capped at 4,100 square feet.

Aesthetics are less of a factor in Sagaponack, near East Hampton, on Long Island, with its expanses of open acreage. Nevertheless, critics have little trouble finding examples for their cause in this newly created village, which is writing its first zoning ordinance.

There is the 66,000-square-foot mansion on 63 beachfront acres, for example, or the structure called “the Great Wall of Sagaponack,” a sprawling residence protected by a wall more than 100 feet long and 20 feet high.

“We have generally large lots, most at least three acres, but there’s still concern over really large houses,” Mayor Bill Tillotson of Sagaponack said. “They still stick out.”

Builders argue that large-scale homes are an inevitable result of skyrocketing land values and changes in home-buying habits.

“You never used to have 9-, 10-foot ceilings with cathedral space,” said Stuart R. Koenig, a lawyer and land-use consultant to the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, who estimates that half of New Jersey’s towns have tried to regulate housing size. “And once you do that, if you want to still have living area, you need a bigger building.”

Mr. Benson, the Westport builder, also said that modern tastes dictate larger houses. “Older houses have low ceilings and out-of-date kitchens,” he said. “People don’t want to live in houses built in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. So they tear them down.”

Mr. Benson said he finds ordinances restricting large houses infuriating because they take aim at a problem that is disappearing on its own. “We’ve had three years of an economic slowdown, and market conditions and energy costs are causing builders to build smaller houses,” he said.

As an example, he cited two houses he built on adjoining lots in Westport: one a 6,500-square-foot home on one and a half acres, which was purchased well before completion, the second a 9,600-square-foot residence on two acres, which took two years to sell.

“I had to keep dropping the price,” he said. “It was just too big.”

[UPDATE, ADDED 5/25/07]
From The New York Times

Views Clash Among Neighbors As Builders Destroy Old for New

By Paul Vitello
04/23/07

MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. — With the chain saw man working from above and the wood chipper man working from below, removing one of the last trees on the newly cleared lot at Bay Drive and Nassau Street here took all of an hour the other day. The 75-year-old, 100-foot cedar came down in 6-foot chunks that made a slight tremor underfoot when they hit the ground.

“There used to be a charming little house here on a heavily wooded lot, with pepperidge and cedar and some beech trees,” said Kevin Kobs, a longtime resident of the neighborhood who stopped to watch the last stages of the clearing and grading of a lot bought by a home builder last year. “They tore down the house, ripped out the trees, and now they’re going to put up one of these, these ...”

He grasped for the word, then pointed down the street at the plywood frame of a vast, rectangular house with big picture windows under construction. “These monstrosities,” Mr. Kobs said as sawdust fell on him like a light spring snow.

Although there are signs that things may be starting to change, for most of the last decade older suburban neighborhoods like Mr. Kobs’s, an enclave called Harbour Green built on the South Shore of Long Island in the 1930s, have undergone a building boom that has divided communities.

On one side are longtime residents who value amenities like old trees, old homes, wide lawns and the intangible qualities referred to as scale and neighborhood character; on the other side are relative newcomers who might share those values in principle but who prefer to tear down the old houses and replace them with ones sometimes twice as big.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit group based in Washington, produced a survey last year indicating fierce conflicts about teardowns, as they are called by opponents — or new construction on existing lots, as home builders call the phenomenon — from Montclair, N.J., Delray Beach, Fla., and the Hamptons of Long Island to Atlanta, Austin, Tex., and suburban communities outside Chicago, Washington, Baltimore, Denver, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cincinnati and Boston.

“It’s a huge phenomenon, and a very large concern of ours,” Richard Moe, president of the organization, said in an interview. “In the last several decades, the average size of the American home has doubled. When you inject these super-sized mansions into communities built according to an older standard, it can create enormous damage to the character of a place.”

But there are signs of an emerging shift in this culture war of architectural taste.

Partly as a result of the slowdown in home buying in some areas of the country, and partly because of a long-term effort by preservationists to enlist the help of local governments, a small but growing number of municipalities have imposed building moratoriums in the last two years.

In 2005, the town council in Chevy Chase, Md., passed a six-month building moratorium while it reviewed and tightened its zoning laws in response to a protest against the construction of McMansions; the following year the Maryland Legislature adopted a bill, which was signed into law, granting broader powers to local governments to limit how high, how wide and how big in relation to surrounding homes, new houses could be.

Similar moratoriums and zoning restrictions were adopted last year in municipalities large and small — including Austin, Tex., Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Ocean City, N.J., Larchmont and Brighton, N.Y., and the Chicago suburbs of Evanston, Oak Park, and Naperville.

“To us, we see it as a conflict between two groups that are basically well-intentioned,” said Stephen Melman, director of research and economic forecasting for the National Association of Home Builders, a Washington-based industry lobby. “You start with a desirable neighborhood, usually in a close-in suburb where the homes are older, and because it is such a nice place to live, it attracts your more selective clientele, who are looking for a higher-quality home.”

The home builders association estimates there were 330,000 home demolitions in the country last year, although that includes every category, from teardowns of the Harbour Green kind to those made necessary by damage and disrepair.

Mr. Melman said the total was about 20 percent lower last year than in 2005, the peak year of the boom in new housing. Still, he said it was impossible to know whether that was because of building moratoriums or the general decline in new housing construction.

By Long Island standards, the old houses in Mr. Kobs’s neighborhood, like the one just demolished along with the cedar tree, are very old. Pre-Levittown old.

The original 400 houses in this canal-fingered waterfront area were built from 1931 to 1940, and were among the first of their kind for middle-class homebuyers.

With their screened-in porches, fireplaces and steeply pitched gable roofs, Harbour Green homes were featured in magazines like “Life” and “Better Homes and Gardens” as encouraging examples of how far $4,500 could take the average person toward realizing the American Dream, a term that was then newly minted. By now, many of the original houses have been added to and renovated, but most retain the ivy-covered and tree-shaded look of the cottages they were designed to be.

It was about five years ago when the first of about two dozen homes here were torn down, neighbors say. In most cases, builders bought single-story houses with about 2,400 square feet of space for $600,000 to $800,000. They tore them down and built larger homes with two stories and 4,000 to 6,000 square feet of space that sold for more than $1 million.

Besides their size, a feature that stirred almost equal chagrin among neighbors was their height: to give the houses full-size basements on land so close to the water, builders heaped soil on the lots to raise the height of the foundation. That practice made the two-story houses seem to tower over the others, some neighbors said.

Dan Ryan, manager of a Prudential Douglas Elliman real estate agency in Massapequa, which has been a partner in some of the new building, said it was a matter of giving customers what they wanted.

“Buyers today want extra master bedrooms,” Mr. Ryan said. “They want dens. They want two-car garages. They want saunas. Is it the builder’s fault that he builds them bigger because someone wants to buy it that way?”

Beginning several years ago, Mr. Kobs, a business manager for an investment banking firm, and a nucleus of several activists including Robert Salamack, a Wall Street trader, and Mark Snider, who owns a local advertising company, convened a series of meetings among Harbour Green residents to discuss the changes in their neighborhood. They arranged meetings with Mr. Ryan, the real estate broker.

They called on their town councilman and on Jack Libert, a Long Island real estate lawyer who is also commissioner of planning and development in the Town of Oyster Bay, where Harbour Green is situated.

By their account, the talks were sporadic and inconclusive until early this year, when Mr. Ryan and Mr. Libert indicated some willingness to consider their concerns. In the meantime, two things happened that may have favored the group. The real estate market slowed enough that in Harbour Green, no fewer than four new homes built by developers — all larger than the cottages they replaced — have gone unsold for six months to a year.

The other factor came from the community of Oyster Bay, a hamlet on the North Shore. Last year, activists there won the support of town officials in efforts to stop the demolition of late 19th-century and early 20th-century homes. A yearlong moratorium, which ended in January, was put in effect while the town reconsidered the rules of new construction.

“We recognize that this is a problem in Harbour Green,” Mr. Libert said. “These squarish boxes seem to be overbuilt in relation to their neighbors.”

Mary Korber, who lives in one of the larger new houses in Harbour Green, answered her door the other day with a phone at her ear. A furniture store had failed to deliver one piece of new den furniture. Her house, on a raised foundation, has two stories, five bedrooms and a total 6,200 feet of space on a lot that once held a modest three-bedroom ranch.

“I have mixed feelings,” Ms. Korber said, a hand resting on the head of one of her four children, Collin, 5. “We moved here because we loved the charm of the neighborhood. I know people think our house is too big, but we thought it fit in. On the other hand, the land here is very expensive, and people who come here are not first-time homebuyers. They want a little more room. They have a lot of stuff.”

Her phone rang a lot: The furniture store calling back. A brother who lives in a house nearby. A friend down the street.

“But I have to tell you, that house where they were taking down that tree the other day,” she said. As it turned out, she had driven by at the same time that Mr. Kobs was watching the removal of the cedar tree at Bay Drive and Nassau Street.

“That was one of my favorite houses,” she said. “It was horrible when they knocked that down.”

BCon Preservation Design Studios I & II: Final Project Web Site

2007-05-20T14:32:00.000-05:00

On May 5th, BCon students did a final presentation of the Upper Congress Street/Mt. Ida Neighborhood studio project at Troy's St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church. In spite of the glorious weather and the opening of Little League baseball, the meeting was well attended. (The image above is the 1845 City Engineer's Map by S. A. Beers, provided courtesy of the Troy Public Library).

The student presentation consisted mainly of a brief explanation of the studio's purpose followed by an overview of the neighborhood's history, student recommendations for the corridor's improvement, and a "walk-through" of the comprehensive web site the students developed as their final studio project. Although the studio strayed somewhat from its original adherence to revitalization based on the principles of Main Street (developing a broader neighborhood resource focus), I think the end result is great.

The web site has a TON of useful information and links to myriad resources within and outside Troy, as well as considerable information about the neighborhood's history, development, and building conditions.

The web site consists of the following sections:

Purpose & Needs Statement
History
Demographics & Economics
Natural Resources
Zoning & Land Use
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
Our Proposal
Resources (included design guidelines developed by the students)
Links

It is the hope of the students and faculty that this web site will be useful to the residents of the Mt. Ida neighborhood and serve as a model for other neighborhoods in Troy (and elsewhere). It is currently hosted on RPI server space, but will likely be relocated when we find a more permanent home for it, perhaps on the City of Troy's web site or some other local site from which it can continue to be maintained.

We hope you will check it out and find it useful! You can follow the link above or find it in the sidebar under Rensselaer and Troy links.

Death of Two NYC Preservationists: Giorgio Cavaglieri & Denis Kuhn

2007-05-20T10:55:00.000-05:00

From The New York Times

Giorgio Cavaglieri, Urban Preservationist, dies at 95

By Douglas Martin
05/18/07
(Photograph by Don Hogan Charles, The New York Times, 1999).

Giorgio Cavaglieri, an architect who took his fascination with how buildings and cities change over time from his native Italy to New York, where he helped start and define the city’s preservation movement, died on Tuesday in Manhattan. He was 95.

His nephew Andrew Tesoro announced the death.

Mr. Cavaglieri designed airfields for Mussolini’s army; worked with Rosario Candela, the renowned designer of luxury Manhattan apartment buildings; and won many awards. But his best-known work is probably the Jefferson Market Library in Greenwich Village, which he restored in the mid-1960s.

That building was saved after preservationists had been unable to stop the demolition of Penn Station, and the project is generally regarded as the first real instance of successful historic preservation in New York City. The battle to convert what had been a courthouse, considered the city’s premier High Victorian Gothic building, was led by Margot Gayle and other preservationists.

But it was Mr. Cavaglieri’s work to restore — he used the word refresh — the building that made the dream reality. He began with four years of preliminary study, then integrated modern library facilities, like air-conditioning, elevators and furniture, into the turreted Victorian fantasy.

He carefully differentiated old details and new ones. He took countless photos to ensure accuracy in replacing a stained-glass window and carved black walnut doors. But features he designed as new — rather than copied — were contemporary in material and style. The new entrance to the old circular stair tower, for instance, was through a sleek glass door set into the old carved limestone. The most striking addition was a stark catwalk above the main reading room.

During the time he was working on the Jefferson Market building, Mr. Cavaglieri also altered the old Astor Library at 425 Lafayette Street into Joseph Papp’s Public Theater.

He opposed freezing the past in time, and some of his solutions were innovative: his 1983 renovation of a row of town houses on Madison Avenue, for example, involved a dramatically stylish red granite front. Christopher Gray, who writes the “Streetscapes” column in the Real Estate section of The New York Times, wrote that today’s preservationists would almost certainly see this as an insult to the original design.

Mr. Cavaglieri told Mr. Gray, “I don’t think it would be wise or right to interpret the opinion of a dead man.”

Mr. Tesoro, also an architect, said his uncle was inspired by the way buildings have gone through successive transformations over centuries in Italy and spoke of actually seeing layers of time as he strolled the streets of Rome. The term he coined for this phenomenon — adaptive reuse — has become a watchword of many preservationists.

“Michelangelo didn’t repeat Bramante’s drawings, and Bernini left his own imprint, too,” Mr. Cavaglieri said.

Giorgio Cavaglieri was born in Venice on Aug. 11, 1911, and in his early 20s became head of his household when his father, an insurance executive, died. He graduated with honors in engineering and architecture from Milan Politecnico and worked as an in-house architect for the Italian government’s insurance company, which had employed his father. He designed airfields for the Italian military.

When Fascist law prohibited Jews from working and living freely in Italy, he left with some of his family for New York in December 1939 and sent for other members later. Mr. Tesoro said Mr. Cavaglieri was irritated about having to leave because he relished his architectural work and thought European design led the world.

The Italian government had seized the family’s assets. The family found a $15-a-month apartment on Madison Avenue, and Mr. Cavaglieri found design work in Baltimore. There he met Norma Sanford, whom he married in 1942. They soon moved to New York, where he worked briefly with Mr. Candela. He and his wife had no children, and she died in 1971. Mr. Cavaglieri is survived by Natalie Meadow, his companion.

Mr. Cavaglieri joined the United States Army and traveled with American troops from Normandy to Berlin. His professional skills were put to use testing bridges for safety and adapting German barracks for Allied use. He won a Bronze Star.

After his discharge, he formed his own firm. His reputation for creatively altering buildings developed in the 1950s, after he turned two older Midtown buildings into union halls.

He was president of the Municipal Art Society in 1963 and helped lead the fight against the proposed drastic alteration of Grand Central Terminal. He was also chairman of the National Institute of Architectural Education and president of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects, among many other leadership posts. One of the last awards he won was the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Leadership Award, presented by the New York Landmarks Conservancy in 2002.

One of Mr. Cavaglieri’s battles was for preserving not just great buildings designed by great architects, but also those by “the Joe Blokes.” Similarly, he railed in a letter to The Times in 1985 against preserving just the facades of landmark buildings as a way to “delude the public into thinking that they are preserving the appearance of the environment while still satisfying the greed of the investors.”

Mr. Cavaglieri worked every day until he was 93, when he badly injured his right arm in a fall. He then learned to paint watercolors with his left hand, fulfilling his first ambition, to be a painter.

Denis Kuhn, 65, Dies; Restored New York Landmarks

By Stuart Lavietes
05/18/07
(Photograph by Eric Liebowitz, 2004)

Denis G. Kuhn, an architect who oversaw many major restoration and reuse projects in New York City, including the transformation of the Alexander Hamilton Custom House into the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the conversion of the old Police Department headquarters in Little Italy into elegant apartments, died on May 10 in the Dominican Republic while touring a project site. He was 65 and lived in Manhasset, N.Y.

The cause was a heart attack, his firm, Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, announced.

The Custom House, a Beaux-Arts building at Bowling Green on the southern tip of Manhattan, was Mr. Kuhn’s most notable work. Designed in 1900 by Cass Gilbert, it had been empty since the mid-1970s when Mr. Kuhn began restoring its elaborate facade and grand, elliptical rotunda and reconfiguring its interior as a museum.

The building, which also houses the Federal Bankruptcy Court, reopened in 1994. Its Diker Pavilion, which opened last fall, was also one of Mr. Kuhn’s projects.

Before working on the Custom House, Mr. Kuhn had revived another downtown landmark, the police headquarters, which had fallen into disuse and been abandoned in 1973. Mr. Kuhn’s restoration of that 1909 Beaux-Arts palace resulted in what The New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger, writing in 1990, called “probably the grandest Manhattan apartment residence south of the Dakota.”

Mr. Goldberger praised Mr. Kuhn’s work as “one of the rare renovations that leave a landmark building better off than it was before,” explaining that “everything added to the interior is sympathetic to the original building, but little of it replicates the original architecture.”

Denis Glen Kuhn, whose first name is pronounced Dennis, was born on Feb. 17, 1942, in Queens. He received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Pratt Institute in 1964 and joined Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Whitelaw in 1979. He was elected a fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1993, and his name was added to the firm’s four years later.

He is survived by his wife, Gudrun, of Manhasset; his sons Chris, of Larchmont, N.Y., and Daniel, of Mamaroneck, N.Y.; his daughter, Rebekka Kuhn, of New Haven; his mother, Mildred, of Woodside, Queens; and four grandchildren.

Mr. Kuhn’s work was not limited to Manhattan or New York City. In 1987 he transformed a dreary 1950s junior high school in Flushing, Queens, into a much-admired center for the law school of the City University of New York.

In the late 1990s Mr. Kuhn restored the historic Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., adding a new wing to house Science City, an interactive museum and theme park. At about the same time he designed Hollywood and Highland, the huge entertainment and retail development in Los Angeles that includes the Kodak Theater, designed by David Rockwell, which is home of the Academy Awards ceremony.

Not all Mr. Kuhn’s projects look to the past. Earlier this year his firm received an award from the American Institute of Architects for his master plan for a proposed suburban community in Gaithersburg, Md., outside Washington.

The institute praised Mr. Kuhn’s blueprint for the development — which would include residences, stores, a high school and parks — as “an excellent model to be used for the redevelopment of worn suburban sprawl” and a strategy “for the creation of the 21st-century sustainable city.”

The Future of New York's Past

2007-05-15T15:44:00.000-05:00

Here is a very good description, excerpts and links from a panel about the future of historic preservation in New York City. Panelists included Anthony C. Wood, founder and chairman of the New York Preservation Archive Project; William J. Higgins, principal in Higgins, Quasebarth & Partners; Anthony M. Tung, former member of NYC's Landmarks Preservation Commission and author of "Preserving the World's Great Cities: The Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis;" Julia Vitullo-Martin, political scientist, former city official, and director for the Center for Rethinking Development at the Manhattan Institute; and Thomas Wolfe, noted author and ardent preservationist. The panel was hosted by the New York Preservation Archive Project (see link in sidebar at right, and in text below) and the Gotham Center for New York City History. If you have time, read the comments following the New York Times' electronic article.

The New York Times

Sewell Chan
05/15/07

A walk through Lower Manhattan yields scant evidence of the 17th century Dutch and English settlements. Many of the buildings now seen as timeless masterpieces, like the Flatiron Building (1902) and Grand Central Terminal (1903), are very young by Old World standards. In a city where change is the only constant, is there sufficient respect for the past?

Last night, a panel that included the writer Tom Wolfe discussed the subject, “Does New York’s Past Have a Future? A Report on the Preservation Movement’s History; Some Prescriptions for Its Next Century,” before an audience of about 100 at the City University of New York Graduate Center. Michael Miscione, the Manhattan borough historian; Kent Barwick, president of the Municipal Art Society; and Norman Oder, the Atlantic Yards critic, were among the faces in the crowd.

The discussion, organized by the Gotham Center for New York City History and the New York Preservation Archive Project, produced mixed reviews for the 11-member Landmarks Preservation Commission, which is entrusted with designating landmarks for protection from demolition or alteration.

A long (but thorough) summary of the speakers’ remarks is below.

Anthony C. Wood

Mr. Wood, the founder and chairman of the New York Preservation Archive Project, has spent the last two years working on a forthcoming book about the origins of New York City’s landmarks preservation law, which was adopted by the City Council and signed by Mayor Robert F. Wagner in 1965. It survived a Supreme Court challenge in 1978.

“There seems to be an extraordinary angst and growing disillusionment among many New Yorkers as we continue to lose buildings that many people think should be saved,” Mr. Wood said, adding, “Preservation’s history provides us a context and an additional perspective, a very useful lens through which to understand preservation today.”

“Our law is not a timid document,” Mr. Wood said. “However, since its passage. The implementation of the law has been characterized by timidity, and by and large, the preservation community has come to expect low expectations from the law. It has underachieved, and we have let it.”

From the beginning, the survival of the law — then as now the broadest landmarks-protection statute in the nation — was in doubt, Mr. Wood noted. Developers promised a legal challenge, and many believed that the courts would strike it down within three years. “It was an untested law with an unproven commission,” Mr. Wood said. “That explains why that commission proceeded gingerly in its early years.”

The first major test of the law came in the late 1960s, when the financially troubled Penn Central railroad, which owned Grand Central Terminal, proposed erecting a massive office tower designed by Marcel Breuer (who designed the Whitney Museum of American Art) on top of the station. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was among the prominent New Yorkers who rallied to save the terminal from the fate that befell the old Pennsylvania Station, a marble masterpiece destroyed in 1963.

Nonetheless, Mr. Wood said, “Timidity — that worry, that fear, that landmarks could be taken away at any one moment – still is part of the DNA of the preservation movement.” Mr. Wood attributed that timidity to the creation of the commission itself. He also argued that civic groups have taken a deferential position toward the commission, ceding a leadership role and leaving them with few other resources in landmarks disputes.

William J. Higgins

Mr. Higgins, a principal in Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, is a historic preservation consultant who often works with property developers and owners who are submitting plans for new construction to the landmarks commission.

Mr. Higgins laid out six “cosmic issues” that tend to dominate construction projects. It is a primer that seems to apply to more than just the preservation isssues he was discussing, but to development in general:

Scale. Opponents use verbs like “hulk and loom,” while supporters use “light and airy verbs” like “float.”
Precedent. Opponents “generally break into song, somewhere between Cole Porter and Frank Sinatra: ‘If they can do it here, they’ll do it everywhere.’ ” Supporters “go higher on the cultural food chain, channeling transcendentalists. No Emerson or Thoreau could be more eloquent about the absolute sacredness and uniqueness of the change being proposed.”
Style. “No proposed building, especially no modern building, is just itself. It’s always like something.” Opponents will compare a building to a toilet bowl or soap dish, while advocates “head right for the great platonic shapes: ‘icon,’ ‘sculptural form.’ ”
Use (Image). Opponents compare the projects to an undesired building type – “shopping malls are a particular favorite” – or raise fears that the neighborhood will be dominated by chain stores like the Gap or, more recently, Prada. Supporters cite lofty ideas like “rebirth, new life, vitality.”
Design quality. Opponents will dismiss aesthetically impressive works by saying, “Nice work, but not for me,” paraphrasing Gershwin. Advocates “ascend to the futurist-visionary high road and aspire to build a landmark of the future.”
Public discourse. Worsening, on both sides, Mr. Higgins argued. “The landmarks forum is sounding more and more just like another outpost of the culture wars to me,” he said, “with the opposing sides of the camp demonizing each other in order to win the battle.”

Anthony M. Tung

Mr. Tung, a former member of the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the author of “Preserving the World’s Great Cities: The Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis,” offered the most pessimistic account of the Bloomberg administration’s track record in preservation, and of the state of the movement generally.

“The vitality of New York has long been served by a landmarks commission of superior quality; this is becoming less true with every successive Republican administration,” Mr. Tung argued.

In the 1930s, only two dozen American municipalities had preservation ordinances, compared to 2,400 today. Yet the destruction of historic urban architecture, he argued, continues unabated. “Nothing is so beautiful or meaningful that it can’t be destroyed,” giving way to “developments of a thoughtless and numbing banality,” he said.

Mr. Tung enumerated a litany of destructive acts. In Amsterdam, of the 4,200 buildings identified in 1928 as being of prime historic value, one-quarter had been razed by the end of the century. In Rome, one-third of the historic city was leveled between 1870 and 1950, according to an estimate by the architect Spiro Kostof. In Moscow, half of the noteworthy buildings, in particular churches, were demolished between 1924 and 1950 to make way for giant housing projects.

About half of the “significant historic fabric” that existed in the world in 1900 had been destroyed a century later, he said, estimating that the proportion would rise to 75 percent by the end of this century.

Mr. Tung said that New York City “leaped to the front” of the preservation movement in the mid-1960s. It has designated roughly 24,000 landmarks, amounting to about 2.4 percent of the city’s area. Eighteen percent of Manhattan is protected under the landmarks law, although much of that is taken up by Central, Riverside and Fort Tryon Parks.

In its first 29 years, the landmarks commission designated an average of 652 properties a year, compared with 183 a year under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Mr. Tung asserted. New Orleans, which passed protections for many of its historic buildings after Hurricane Katrina inundated the city in 2005, now has a proportionally higher preservation rate than New York, he said.

Julia Vitullo-Martin

Dr. Vitullo-Martin — a political scientist, former city official and director of the Center for Rethinking Development at the conservative Manhattan Institute — was more sympathetic to the Bloomberg administration, but she also raised cause for alarm.

“In a postindustrial age, a city’s face becomes its fortune,” she said, quoting a friend. “Both of those parts of the sentence are true. It really matters today, in a way it didn’t in the early 20th and in the 19th centuries, that a city is beautiful.”

Chicago, which until the early 70s “routinely tore down its landmarks and ripped the heart out of its historic neighborhoods,” is today the country’s most beautiful postindustrial city, she said, with a mayor, Richard M. Daley, who “asserts Chicago’s beauty in his economic development policies.”

“A city’s story today determines its fate,” Dr. Vitullo-Martin said, invoking the idea of “story-cities” put forth by Jack London — “cities whose stories are so familiar, powerful and renowned that people who have never been to the city feel they know and admire it.”

Wealth matters, Dr. Vitullo-Martin said, arguing that two or three decades ago, “No one predicted that New York and London would become so phenomenally wealthy and that the economic demand for these cities would be virtually without limit.”

London now has the most expensive residential real estate of any city in the world, and yet is “relatively undeveloped,” with few soaring skyscrapers and “huge amounts of land in East London,” beyond the Docklands. New York lacks space to grow, she said, adding that Mr. Bloomberg’s PlaNYC effort and his vision of New York City in 2030 call for exploiting the remaining space that can be developed.

“I think preservations should really embrace that because insofar as development can be directed toward underused property, there’s some hope for releasing the pressure on other property,” she said.

Dr. Vitullo-Martin called arguments over use of historic properties “one of the most bitter, divisive and unproductive fights” in the preservation movement. “It has to break your heart when you see a church turned into a sleazy nightclub,” adding, however, “To save buildings, you need an economic use and that’s all there is to it.”

Tastes are often unpredictable, she said, noting that many preservationists are now calling for saving the Modernist skyscrapers that were widely seen as ugly in the 1950s and 60s. She noted, critically, the recent effort to have the Silver Towers in Greenwich Village designated as a landmark because they represent I. M. Pei’s first use of the superblock – a largely discredited idea championed by Robert Moses and urban planners.

“The superblock truly is one of the worst ideas of the 21st century, and to list, as a reason for preservation, that this was an example of a famous architect’s first use of a truly bad idea, is itself a truly bad idea,” she said, drawing laughs.

Tom Wolfe

Mr. Wolfe, an ardent preservationist, aimed fierce criticism at the Bloomberg-era Landmarks Preservation Commission.

“My quarrel in this whole area is not with there being certain buildings that just have to be landmarks,” he said. “It’s more with the politics of the situation and the cynicism of the current situation.”

Mr. Wolfe described the landmarks law of 1965 as “what politicians call one of the great goo-goo moments in New York politics,” using the somewhat derisive nickname for good-government efforts.

Mr. Wolfe described the Grand Central fight (“Can you imagine a 60-story building as ugly as the Whitney over the top of Grand Central?”) and recalled Mr. Tung’s role in resisting a plan by the Koch administration to cut down “an entire allée of beautiful, ancient trees” to build a restaurant at the rear of the New York Public Library, in Bryant Park.

Mr. Wolfe asserted that the landmarks commission’s role was diminished under Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Mr. Bloomberg. He was particularly incensed at the current commission’s refusal to consider designating 2 Columbus Circle, often called the “lollipop building,” as a landmark.

The building, by Edward Durell Stone, was built in 1964 to house the art collection of the supermarket magnate Huntington Hartford, but was seen by some as an eyesore. Last year, builders began to radically alter the building to be the future home of the Museum of Arts and Design, over the objections of a panoply of groups, from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to the World Monuments Fund.

The architectural historians Vincent Scully and Robert A. M. Stern, the urban theorist Witold Rybczynski, and others called for the landmarks commission to at least hold a hearing, Mr. Wolfe said, but it was like “talking at the wall, talking at the sea, talking at the waves.”

“Now if that lineup is not sufficiently strong opinion to save a building in New York City, this city’s finished when it comes to preservation,” Mr. Wolfe said.

Epilogue

In response to questions from Mike Wallace, the historian who moderated the panel, and from the audience, the speakers touched on a variety of subjects.

Mr. Wood described a “sea-change” in the attitudes of ordinary residents toward their historic neighborhoods. “Thirty years ago, you couldn’t get the people of Queens to be interested in a historic district with perhaps six people being the exception to that,” he said, adding that neighborhoods all over the city today “are clamoring to have their communities protected.” He added, “The challenge is they are not particularly well-organized. There is not the leadership the way there used to be.”

Mr. Higgins said that the real estate market “is like fire – fire can make things and fire can utterly destroy things.” The dynamic property market in New York City is a comparative blessing, he said, given how the loss of industry and jobs has ravaged so many other urban centers.

New Exhibit - "Full Steam Ahead: Robert Fulton and the Age of Steamboats"

2007-05-14T14:44:00.000-05:00

From Times Union

05/13/07
Exhibit chugs through steamboat history
By Justin C. Maiman

In front of a crowd anticipating an explosion, Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat of Clermont, set off on Aug. 17, 1807, for Albany from Greenwich Village. Nothing blew up, but the 5 mph steamboat trip proved to be a milestone journey, not just on the Hudson River, but for transportation around the country.

Fulton and his partner Robert Livingston didn't invent the paddle-wheel boat or the steam engine, but they ushered in the steamboat as a popular form of passenger travel, and a faster and cheaper way to transport goods.

"Full Steam Ahead: Robert Fulton and the Age of Steamboats" at the Albany Institute of History & Art offers a glimpse of the 19th-century sights and sounds on the Hudson River.

"He was no fool," said Ruth Greene-McNally, curator of the new exhibit. "Livingston had already secured a monopoly for navigating all vessels propelled by steam on New York state waterways. And after meeting in Paris, he encouraged Robert Fulton to turn his attention to the steamboat."

The exhibit anticipates the upcoming 200th anniversary of the Fulton voyage. Celebrations begin Aug. 17, the day Fulton set out from New York City hoping to become a commercial success, after several of his inventions and designs for steam warships and a submarine never took off in Europe and America.

In little more than 32 hours, the Clermont made it to Albany, where another crowd awaited, also wary of an explosion. Local sloop captains were not pleased with Fulton's innovation. His steamboat was even rammed by a jealous captain.

"There was mixed reaction because sloop captains were being phased out of business and also people were very fearful," said Greene-McNally.

Despite the historic voyage, the Clermont returned to New York City almost empty. Two passengers, a pair of adventurous Frenchmen, went along, paying $3 each.

M. Michaux wrote about his ride in a letter home: "So great was the fear of the explosion of the boiler that no one, except my companion and myself, dared to take passage in it for New York. From every point on the river whence the boat announced by the smoke of its chimney ... we saw the inhabitants collect; they waved their handkerchiefs and hurrahod for Fulton."

"The ride on the Hudson would have been choppy and very loud," according to Travis Bowman, steamboat aficionado and curator of collections at the Clermont State Historic Site. "But Fulton knew he could make it work because of extensive testing. It wasn't until steamboat racing that you saw a lot of explosions."

A national change

After the Clermont, America was changed forever.

Before the steamboat, the 150-mile river voyage was at least a three-day journey by sloop. By stagecoach, the Albany-New York City journey could take weeks. Within weeks of the maiden voyage, the steamboat was making regular trips up and down the Hudson.

Hundreds of passengers bought tickets, paying $7 each way between Albany and New York City. Initially, only wealthy citizens were able to afford this passage.

The service was so popular copycat boats and captains soon followed. Each was met with a lawsuit from Fulton and Livingston, and the two successfully protected their steamboat monopoly for almost two decades.

However, after 1824 when the Fulton/Livingston monopoly dissolved, prices began to drop, making the trip more affordable to average citizens.

The larger story

The Albany Institute exhibit fills two rooms and focuses first on Fulton and Livingston, and then segues into a much larger story, that of the golden age of the steamboat.

That 50-year span was filled with deadly races and wrecks, the rise of the robber barons and posh three-deck floating palaces on the Hudson.

These stories are told through drawings, paintings, letters, models and artifacts, most of which were already part of the institute's extensive collection.

Tammis Groft, deputy director for collections and exhibitions at the Albany Institute, called the Fulton show a prelude to the upcoming Hudson 400, celebrating Henry Hudson's exploration of the river. She said the research is paving the way for the larger exhibition in 2009.

Art exhibit

"FULL STEAM AHEAD: Robert Fulton and the Age of Steamboats"

What: Exhibit commemorating the 200th anniversary of Fulton's first steamboat voyage of the Clermont in 1807 from New York City to Albany.

Where: Albany Institute of History & Art, 125 Washington Ave., Albany

When: through December

Gallery hours: 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday; open Tuesdays to preregisterd groups; closed Mondays and major holidays

Admission: $8, adults; $6, seniors/students; $4, ages 6-12; ages 5 and younger, admitted free

Info: 463-4478; http://www.albanyinstitute.org/

FACTS

Fulton's steamboat the Clermont sparked a transportation revolution when it set sail for Albany from New York City in 1807. Some details about the ship and its Hudson River voyage follow.

Travel time: New York City to Albany: 32 hours

Speed: just under 5 mph

Fuel: Wood

Info: http://www.robertfulton.org or http://www.friendsofclermont.org

I'm Back!

2007-05-14T13:24:00.000-05:00

I apologize for not posting for more than a week -- with my mother visiting for a month (April 15-May 15) and RPI classes ending for the semester, I was able to sneak away for a short vacation. We went off in search of our roots, visiting Mom's birthplace and seeing where her side of the family originally settled in Iowa and Minnesota. It was a fantastic trip and I will probably do a couple of posts sometime soon to share some of the highlights.

New Preservationists' Make Their Mark on New York City

2007-05-04T22:12:00.000-05:00

Although preservationists have often been said to be "little old ladies in white tennis shoes," this recent article from the New York Sun describes the work and passion of a few of New York City's younger preservationists. The photograph below, taken by Konrad Fiedler (NY Sun) at the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, shows (back row, left to right) Andrew Berman of GVSHP, Seri Worden, executive director of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, Alice Rich, a volunteer at the Waterfront Preservation Alliance of Greenpoint and Brooklyn, Simeon Bankoff of the Historic Districts Council, and (front row, left to right) Kate Wood of Landmarks West and Lisa Kersavage, a fellow at the Municipal Art Society. See sidebar for links to these and other organizations.

From: The New York Sun

New Preservationists' Make Their Mark on the City
By Gabrielle Birkner
May 2, 2007

Surrender the image of a preservationist as a crabby, older person with a park view to protect.

Preservationist Seri Worden, 30, grew up in Brandon, Fla., shopping at big-box stores such as Target and eating at strip mall chains like Bennigan's. Now, as the executive director of the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, she is fighting to save the Upper East Side's low- and mid-rise landscape, and to extend the neighborhood's landmark districts.

Ms. Worden is part of a cadre of under-40 professionals who came of age during a time of tremendous suburban sprawl, but grew up to lead some of this city's most high-profile preservation groups. These vocal "new preservationists" have positioned themselves at the center of many of the city's recent battles over building proposals, including those at 980 Madison Ave., the New York Historical Society on Central Park West, and the campus of the General Theological Seminary in Chelsea.

These new preservationists are regulars at community board and Landmarks Preservation Commission meetings. There, they can often be found touting the architectural merits of a structure built a generation before they were born, or opposing a glassy residential high-rise in a landmark district — cases some developers and change advocates have called obstructionist.

"If they're not reasonable, they can hold back certain developments and certain changes that are necessary to adjust to the 21st century," the developer who hopes to build atop an Upper East Side gallery at 980 Madison Ave., Aby Rosen, said.

All but one member of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in January said they would not support Mr. Rosen's proposal to erect a 22-story cylindrical glass tower above 980 Madison Ave., and sent the developer back to the drawing board.

Some of the new preservationists, such as Ms. Worden, say they were drawn to the field, in part, because of their aversion to the sprawling quality of their hometowns. "When I go home to Florida, you have the same strip-mall every two miles," Ms. Worden said. "There doesn't seem like there's a chance for an individual store or restaurant that isn't a chain to exist. Every time I go anywhere like that, I'm so happy I do what I do."

Others grew up in and around New York, and have been inspired by the extent of change to New York's cityscape over the decades, and the rapidity of that change — particularly amid the development boom that has given rise to a slew of luxury condominium towers.

The executive director of Landmarks West, Kate Wood, 33, said she learned the value of preservation from her parents, who were constantly working to maintain their early 20th century home in Princeton, N.J. "For me, it just seemed normal — you live in a place and you take care of it," she said.

Ms. Wood been a vocal opponent of the New York Historical Society's exterior renovation plan — approved last week by the landmarks commission. Ms. Wood repeatedly called the renovation a guise for a residential high-rise project that she said would mar Central Park West's historic skyline. Her organization was at the center of a battle to preserve the Edward Durrell Stone building at 2 Columbus Circle — but failed after a long and loud campaign that lured in the likes of author Tom Wolfe.

There are also practical reasons why so many young people are leading the city's professional preservation pack: 60-plus hour weeks and mid-five-figure salaries that infrequently exceed $50,000, Internal Revenue Service filings show. "Every day, it's a David versus Goliath battle," the executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Andrew Berman, said. "You really have to have fire in your belly to be willing to take on that position."

Still, the availability of jobs in preservation, even relatively low-paying ones, is emblematic of how the field of preservation — long the domain of tireless volunteers such as Christabel Gough and Whitney North Seymour Jr. — has been professionalized, and formalized. Since Columbia University first started its graduate historic preservation program 42 years ago, many other institutions of higher education have followed suit.

Younger preservationists have "grown up in a world where preservation is legitimized through legal statues and ordinances," the administrative director of Columbia's urban planning and historic preservation programs, Janet Foster, said.

Ms. Foster said many of the new preservationists are concerned not only with preserving the city's 19th- and early 20th-century architecture, but also with "keeping representation from all periods in history, because if you weren't born until 1970, 1969 is ancient history."

Case in point is the white brick 1950 apartment house that the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic District favors designating as a landmark.

The new preservationists, and those who support their work, see their job as protecting the historic architecture that makes New York distinctive and charming. For that reason, the Brooklyn-bred director of the Historic Districts Council, Simeon Bankoff, 36, calls himself and his fellow preservationists "professional New Yorkers."

"I do think my generation has a great appreciation for the kinds of quirky buildings and beautiful buildings that make New York unique," a fellow with the Municipal Arts Society of New York City, Lisa Kersavage, 37, said. "I live in Carroll Gardens, and I see all these young people starting trendy restaurants and bars there — and they are almost universally respectful of the buildings they move into."

Given the perceived generational interest, some preservation groups are making an effort to attract young, committed volunteers. Last week, the Waterfront Preservation Alliance of Greenpoint and Williamsburg brought together about 100 mostly young adults for a benefit at a Brooklyn bar. "I don't think having an appreciation for history knows an age boundary," a 30-year-old alliance volunteer, Alice Rich, said

NYS Heritage Areas Program Celebrates 25th Anniversary

2007-05-01T12:21:00.000-05:00

From the lush vineyards of the Concord Grape Belt on Lake Erie to the golden beaches of Orient Point and the Long Island Sound, New York State's Heritage Areas open the door to the exploration of special places and stories that honor history and celebrate the Empire State experience.

The Heritage Area Program (formerly known as the Urban Cultural Park Program) is a state-local partnership established to preserve and develop neighborhoods, communities, and regions that have special significance to New York State. Today there are nineteen state-designated heritage areas or corridors, encompassing more than 400 municipalities in 27 counties. The program remains one of the oldest and largest heritage area programs in the country.

The year 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the program, established by state legislation in 1982, and the 30th anniversary of RiverSpark, the Hudson-Mohawk Heritage Area [right here in Troy!]. These two major milestones are being celebrated at events, programs, and Heritage Area Visitor Centers throughout the state. For more information call (518) 237-8643.

To visit NYS heritage area web sites (not all have a web presence), check the sidebar at right. RiverSpark is with the Rensselaer and Troy links; others are within a separate collection of links.

Upcoming Events in Troy - Historic Oakwood Cemetery and Historic Prospect Park

2007-04-30T16:54:00.000-05:00

The following events listed in last Friday's The Advertiser's Pennysaver may be of interest to the local historic preservation community:

Historic Oakwood Cemetery Tour: "A Soldier From Every War" Walking Tour - "A new season of tours begins at Oakwood Cemetery on Sat., May 5, from 9-11 am. Join noted military historian Robert Mulligan as he leads us through his walking tour...and introduces visitors to at least one soldier from every war we have fought. Learn of their private lives and the battles they fought. Wear sturdy shoes for off-road walking and bring drinking water. Meet at the bell just beyond the chapel on Oakwood Avenue. The cost is $12/person. Call 1-800-556-6273 to register." Future tours at Oakwood Cemetery include (call same phone number to register, same meeting and other requirements except as noted):

"Birding with the Best," with lifelong birder Dick Patrick, Saturday, May 12, 8-10 am ($12). "See Oakwood's Baltimore orioles, great blue herons, hawks, and an occasional bald eagle. Last year, the tour group spotted a family of great horned owls and watched their progress throughout the summer."

"A Walk Among the Wildflowers," Saturday, May 19, 9-11 am ($12). Tour the grounds with Bill Town as he introduces you to the common and unusual, as well as the native and not-so-native plants found on the grounds.

Memorial Day Ecumenical Service and Graveside Remembrance, Monday, May 28, 8-10 am (free). Celebrate with us as we begin Oakwood Cemetery's tribute to veterans with an outdoor Ecumenical Service at the Earl Chapel on Oakwood Avenue. We begin at 8 am with a call to prayer with a shofar, a ram's horn. Following the service, at 9am, take a self-guided tour through the cemetery to selected veterans' graves where Honor Guard members will tell of the veterans' lives and war experiences. This service will be brought indoors in case of heavy rain only. Please plan appropriately. This program is free and requires no registration.

"The Rensselaer County Historical Society will present an exhibition chronicling the centennial of Prospect Park entitled "One Hundred Years of a Day in the Park." It will open May 17 at the Society's headquarters, at 57 Second Street, in Troy, at 5:30 pm. the public is invited to attend and refreshments will be provided. An exciting array of programs will be offered in conjunction with the exhibit. The exhibition, sponsored by the Friends of Prospect Park, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the park's opening in 1907 on land purchased from the Warren and Vail families. For the last century, the park has played an integral role in the recreational lives of the residents of Troy, from the playground movement begun by the Women's Improvement Association in 1906, to today's Troy Tennis Association. Prospect Park, designed by Garnet Baltimore, first African American graduate of RPI, exemplified the design and spirit of urban parks created in the early 20th century. Residents, trapped by the foul air, congested housing and long hours of hard labor in the many factories, found the 84-acre park located atop Mount Ida an escape to 'refresh the body and soul.'"

On May 24th, the Friends of Prospect Park is also holding its annual Hidden Garden Tour, a walking tour of hidden historic brownstone gardens from 4-7 pm, and its annual Summer Soiree, with dinner and dancing under the stars in Prospect Park on June 14th. For more information and tickets, email them at prospect@nycap.rr.com.

Preservation in the News

2007-04-30T10:50:00.000-05:00

I apologize for posting less frequently than usual, and for mainly posting about things of local interest. Between entertaining and having fun with my mother (who is visiting for a month), the end of the semester, and other work obligations, finding time to write posts for this blog has been difficult. This will probably continue to be the case through late May, but I do hope you will keep reading and passing along items of interest.

Because of the aforementioned time constraints, I haven't been able to post most of the items that have been forwarded to me recently, but I will continue to do so as soon as time allows!

Aside from apologizing, I also wanted to post links to a number of recent preservation-related news stories from the New York Times, Times Union (Albany), and The Record (Troy).

Thursday's Arts section of New York Times included Room With a View of an Architect's Retired Ideas (by Robin Pogrebin), a feature announcing architect Richard Meier's recent decision to allow the public to view "an array of models from projects spanning his 40-year career" -- by appointment only -- on Fridays, at a 3,600-square-foot studio in Long Island City, Queens. Included are approximately 300 models, ranging "from Mr. Meier's residential houses of the 1960s to early versions of his J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles in 1997." Appointments can be arranged by calling (212) 967-6060.

Friday's Escapes section of the New York Times included the Day Trip feature Where No-Frills Fast Food (the Real Thing) Was Born (by Joel Keller) about the birthplace of roadside diners, Rhode Island. If you are a diner aficionado, you will enjoy this article. It describes an exhibition about diner history at the Culinary Archives and Museum at the Harborside campus of Johnson & Wales University in Providence. The exhibit includes a "full soda fountain, along with a vintage Worcester Lunch Car Company model, on display but in the process of restoration, that last served as the Ever Ready Diner in Providence." The article also notes that for "those obsessed with the history and design of diners, Providence -- with a handful of them in and around the city -- and its neighbors are a dream destination." A related text box provides information on the Seaplane (Providence), Modern (Pawtucket), and Jigger's (Greenwich) diners. Closer to home, of course, we have Albany's beloved Miss Albany Diner, which has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is well worth a visit.

Yesterday's Times Union was full of stories related to the upcoming 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage to the New World, including Legacy in Dutch (compiled by Bob Gardinier), which provides photographs and "thumbnail" summaries of the location, siginificance, threat, and preservation of artifacts related to New York's Dutch history, including the Verplanck/Van Valkenburgh Dutch Bible at the Albany Institute of History and Art; 48 Hudson Avenue, which is considered the oldest house still standing in Albany; a Dutch-style farmhouse (Van Hoesen House) in Claverack, Columbia County; a portrait of Tobias Ten Eyck; and the Knickerbocker family mansion in Schagticoke, Rensselaer County. Unfortunately, this overview does not appear to be online, but more information about some of these projects is in the related articles below:

Hudson's anniversary a transatlantic event (Bob Gardinier) - The 400th anniversary of Hudson's voyage will be celebrated in 2009 with numerous events. The article includes links to various web sites related to these events, including the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commission's web site; the Hudson River Maritime Museum's Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial web page; the Hudson 400 Celebration of Discovery web site; and the 1609-2009 Henry Hudson 400 web site.

Dutch Albany in artworks (Bob Gardinier) - about local artist Len Tantillo's efforts to bring recently discovered archeological sites to life through digital technology. Recent projects have included a three-dimensional computer-generated rendering of the Dutch settlement in Schenectady in 1695. Tantillo is currently applying the same technology to show Dutch Albany in 1685 and Dutch Manhattan in the 1660s.

Developer transforming farmland into Dutch village (Christine Brouwer) - about a Holland native's plans for a 200-acre development patterned after his Dutch home town in Stanfordville, Dutchess County, New York.

This old wooden house surviving in modern times (no byline given) - about the historic Sharp House(ca. 1720, Laura Lane, North Greenbush, New York), which still stands despite nearby residential development. The house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

The Times Union also featured the following preservation-related articles:

Together, citizens and city succeed (by Lynn M. Kopka, president of the Washington Park Association and Friends of Washington Park), about how public-private-nonprofit partnerships are accomplishing historic preservation goals here in Troy.

The revivalists (by Joseph Dalton), which describes Tony Rivera's and Jim Charles' re-energizing of the Cohoes Music Hall, and with it, the City of Cohoes and the local theater scene.

And, speaking of Cohoes, New York, today's Record describes a tour of four historic churches in Cohoes that I am sorry to have missed (perhaps the Spindle City Historical Society will offer it again):

Tour illustrates Cohoes rich ethnic history (by Robert Christo) - As described in the article, the tour included St. Joseph's Church on Congress Street; St. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Church on Ontario Street; St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church on Saratoga Street; and the United Church of Cohoes on Mohawk Street.

Neighborhood Revitalization: Troy's Little Italy Marketfest

2007-04-26T08:27:00.001-05:00

When you've finished the Historic Prospect Park tour on Saturday morning (see post below), be sure to head over to Little Italy's first Saturday Marketfest. This event will be held at the former Troy Public Market, on Hill Street between Liberty & Washington Streets, behind the Vanilla Bean Bakery, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 28th.

Troy residents and visitors alike are invited to start off a family friendly day in Troy: drop by the Farmer’s Market and then come to Marketfest for delicious food and fun activities.

Murals created by the talented Questar III New Vision Visual and Performing Arts students and Construction Technology students will be dedicated at 11 a.m. This project was accomplished under the guidance of the Quester teachers: Peg Danner-Frank, Michael Garrish, and Joe Mix. The murals can also be viewed on Friday evening, April 27, during the successful “Troy Night Out” from 5pm to 9pm at the Art Center on River Street.

An array of flea market vendors will provide an assortment of goods and edibles such as fried dough, sausage and peppers, pizza, pasta fagioli, lemon ice, and Italian pastries all prepared by local eateries. Family entertainment will include a “bouncy bounce,” face painting, and balloon sculptures for the children, along with the “Backyard Circus” where children in the audience become the show. A martial arts display at 2pm will be provided by the school of Kaikihara-Aikido, run by Simon Burke-Lipiczky.

Take a trip down memory lane and visit a display of pictures and memorabilia, especially the old photos of the Marketplace collected from past and present residents in the Little Italy neighborhood.

Upcoming Tour of Historic Prospect Park

2007-04-25T18:14:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, April 28th, at 11:00 a.m., historian Marianne Briggs will conduct a tour along the western perimeter to the western overlook and across the site of the former Casino. She will give a verbal history of the lands pre-park families, the Wilsons (Uncle Sam), Heartts, Vails and Warrens as well comment on Garnet Baltimore’s design and dream for the park. Her comments on the landscapes will round out this interesting and informative stroll of the park. Enjoy the park at daffodil time!

Admission is free. Please gather at 11 AM in the second parking just right of the playground.

Prospect Park is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. For more information, read this post.

Guggenheim Museum - "Restoring a Masterpiece"

2007-04-20T11:52:00.000-05:00

A new exhibition at New York City's Guggenheim Museum highlights recent restoration work.

Image from Guggenheim Museum web site.

From The New York Times

Face-Lift for an Aging Museum
By Haeyoun Park

Since the Guggenheim Museum opened in 1959, Frank Lloyd Wright's massive spiral facade has been showing signs of cracking, mainly from seasonal temperature fluctuations that cause the concrete walls, built without expansion joints, to contract and expand. While museum officials say the facade is structurally sound, they have spent the last year inspecting each crack to devise a repair plan. On Saturday the museum opened "Restoring a Masterpiece," an exhibition (on view through July 8) that chronicles its process. The display includes a diagram that shows each crack on the building's west side [click link to NY Times above to see graphics].

From the Guggenheim Museum's web site

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and its representative, Paratus Group, have retained an extraordinary team, including the leading experts in their fields, to plan and implement the restoration:

Preservation Architect: Wank Adams Slavin Associates, LLP

Structural Engineer: Robert Silman Associates, PC

Mechanical Engineer: Atkinson Koven Feinberg Engineers, LLP

Construction Manager: F.J. Sciame Construction Company

Architectural Conservator: Integrated Conservation Resources

Consultant on Thermal and Moisture Migration: William B. Rose & Associate

The restoration of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is made possible through the generous support of Peter B. Lewis, the Board of Trustees of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, and the City of New York under the auspices of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the City Council.

For more information, click the Guggenheim Museum link above.

Upcoming Events in Troy

2007-04-20T11:26:00.000-05:00

GET INVOLVED! The weather is FINALLY warming up here in the northeast and there are all kinds of spring events in the weeks ahead:

Earth Day Clean-up, Sat. April 21

Gather at the the Market, Hill Street between Washington and Liberty Streets, 9am-noon, Saturday, 4/21/07, to participate in the 2007 Troy Little Italy Neighborhood Clean-up. We will distribute bags. Bring your own rakes, shovels, gloves and other cleaning implements. As an alternative, you may choose to clean your own block, leaving leaf and garbage bags, waste, debris, and junk on the curb for DPW pick-up later in the day. Please participate and clean-up Troy this Saturday.

There are other Earth Day clean up activities and festivities all over Troy tomorrow, with plenty of chances to get involved and meet fellow neighborhood residents. To see a complete list, read Mayor Tutunjian's weekly message and scroll down for a list of clean up sites and contact information for each site's organizer. An Earth Day Festival, with live music, food, and other vendors, will also take place at Riverfront Park from 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Neighborhood Associations to Meet Wed.,April 25

The next meeting of the newly-emerging citywide group of neighborhood associations will be held on Wednesday, April 25 from 7 – 8:30 PM at the Kaleel Jamison office at 279 River Street, 4th floor, Suite 406.

Agenda items include:

Sharing among neighborhood groups about effective strategies.

Discuss proposed mission statement (including goals and strategies) of "Troy Neighborhoods." See attached pdf document.

Plan June event to promote Neighborhood Watches.

Discuss National Night Out (Tuesday, August 7th) for possible participation. See http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno.

Schedule next meetings

Little Italy Marketfest, Sat., April 28

Marketfest will be held at the Market Place, next Sat., 4/28,10AM to 5PM, offering vendors, food and entertainment. Volunteers are needed, really needed, to be stationed at booths, events, for put up and take down and be on call to assist with whatever may come up before, during and after the event. Please volunteer some of your time to make this a great success. There's still time to register as a vendor/ event. Respond to this address and we'll fill in the details.

Capital District Community Gardens, 20th Annual Spring Brunch, Sunday, May 6th

The CDCG's annual brunch will take place from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Hudson Valley Community College's Siek Campus Center, 80 Vandenburgh Avenue, Troy. This always wonderful and fun event includes a one-of-a-kind buffet brunch featuring delicious homemade and professionally prepared foods; children's activities with students from The Emma Willard School; and a fabulous Silent Auction with goods and services for the garden, Mother's Day, and more. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door; $5 each for children under 10. Please RSVP by April 27th to CDCG, (518) 274-8685.

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of now. Enjoy the improving weather!

Join Us in Honoring the Extended Virginia Tech Family

2007-04-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

Photograph from Virginia Tech web site, www.vt.edu.

Although the Preservation Law, Preservation Design Studio, and Traditional Trades and Craftsmanship classes were taught last weekend, the end of the semester rush, my mother's arrival Sunday for a month long visit, and then the tragic, horrific, and terribly sad murders at my undergraduate alma mater, Virginia Tech, have prevented me from posting.

My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Virginia Tech, their families, and the residents of Blacksburg, Virginia. It was, and I have no doubt, always will be, a great place to go to school in spite of recent events.

For those who may not have heard, Virginia Tech family members across the country have united to declare this Friday, April 20th, an "Orange and Maroon Effect" day to honor those killed in the tragic events on campus Monday, and to show support for Virginia Tech students, faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, and friends. " "Orange and Maroon Effect" was born several years ago as an invitation to Tech fans to wear orange and maroon to Virginia Tech athletic events.

Everyone from all over the country is invited to be a part of the Virginia Tech family this Friday, to wear orange and maroon to support the families of those who were lost, and to support the school and community we all love so much.

Troy Winter Farmers Market and Downtown Revitalization

2007-04-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

One of the greatest delights of living in Troy is the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market (May-October) and Troy Winter Farmers Market (November-April). Although we often (reluctantly) miss it because BCon classes are held every other Saturday during most of the year, it is the place to be on a Saturday in Troy, the place to see and be seen, the place to meet your neighbors, mingle with old and new friends, and catch up on the various rumors and stories that are always flying around the city.

The market began as the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market back in the summer of 2000 at Hedley Park Place's large riverfront parking lot (433 River Street) at the north end of downtown, and has been a great and widely acclaimed success ever since. Based on the success of the summer market, the Troy Winter Farmers Market began in 2002 in the then nearly vacant Uncle Sam Atrium, which turned out to be the perfect winter venue in the heart of downtown. The 50 or so vendors set up in the main atrium space and in several hallways of the former shopping mall. Market shoppers can settle on stair landings and upper floor walkways to get a bird's eye view of the action below.

In addition to the farmers and other vendors offering seasonal produce, meat, cheeses, wine, baked goods, jams, jellies, spices, condiments, art, and knit goods there is almost always music, cooking demonstrations (and free samples!), and activities for the kids. A few of my many favorite vendors include Saratoga Garlic (offering numerous fantastic and addicting aiolis), Solomon's Rose (all kinds of creatively named, crafted and very tasty sauces and condiments), Denison Farm, Our Farm (where children of all ages love to pet a friendly rooster while waiting in line), Saratoga Apple (great apples, of course, but check out the beautiful asparagus and fruit pies in a month or so), and Mrs. London's (the place to buy a sweet indulgence). Mrs. London's (and the affiliated Rock Hill Bakery) was just featured in the March 2007 issue of Saveur.

You can read more about it in "To Market, to Market," Miriam Axel-Lute's article in Metroland (February 16-22, 2006). And the market is a great place to start a larger exploration of Troy's gorgeous Victorian architecture, antiques district, art center, waterfront, historical society, library, churches, neighborhoods, shops and restaurants.

Winter hours are 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.; summer hours, beginning in May, are 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Following the market, you can explore Troy. See the sidebar at right for links to selected shops, restaurants, bars, and arts venues.

I'm on my way there now; join me if you can!

Calvert Vaux' Hoyt House ("The Point") Named to PLNYS "Seven to Save" List

2007-04-13T09:40:00.000-05:00

The Preservation League of New York State has named the Lydig Munson Hoyt House (also known as "The Point") to its 2007 "Seven to Save" list (in progress). For more information, you can read this excerpt about the house from architectural historian Francis R. Kowsky's book Country, Park, and City: The Architecture and Life of Calvert Vaux (photograph shown here also from this web site with excerpt). A new group, the Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance has recently been established and will actively raise funds to restore the house.

From Poughkeepsie Journal

Historic home may get fixes Staatsburg site is on threatened resources list

By John Davis, 04/12/07

STAATSBURG - Joint efforts are under way to restore the grandeur of the historic Hoyt House at the Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park.

The Preservation League of New York has named the boarded-up and neglected structure to its 2007 "Seven to Save" list of most threatened historic resources.

The announcement was made Wednesday morning inside the gardener's cottage adjacent to the Mills Mansion at Staatsburgh and near the Hoyt House.

A five-minute walk to the house secluded in the woods and overlooking the Hudson River revealed to the dozen in attendance what more than 40 years of neglect have done to the once-magnificent Gothic Revival structure.

"Despite some stabilization work in the past, the building has suffered from vandalism and lack of maintenance and is now vulnerable to water damage," said Jay DiLorenzo, league president. "We are here to support the efforts of local advocates to find a suitable reuse for the building and to secure funding for its stabilization and restoration."

The Hoyt House and grounds were designed in 1855 by Calvert Vaux, the architect and landscape designer who co-designed Central Park in New York City along with Frederick Law Olmsted.

The house was built for Lydig Hoyt, heir to a prominent New York merchant, and his wife Geraldine.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation acquired the house and 90-acre grounds in the 1960s. Finding no use for the building, the state has provided little upkeep since.

Building has suffered

Vines cover parts of the bluestone exterior and brownstone trim. Porches have rotted away and doors and windows are boarded to keep out vandals.

"That the house itself is standing is a tribute to Calvert Vaux's engineering skills," said Gerrit Graham of Rhinebeck, great-great grandson of the Hoyts. "The place was a gem and nowadays would be a gem in the state's diadem of historic properties."

The once-spectacular view of the river from "The Point," the home's other name, is obscured by recent forest growth.

"It's amazing what 45 years of neglect can do," said Richard Marx, a Hyde Park resident who participated in Wednesday's short hike.

To get the fundraising ball rolling, Carol Ash, the acting state parks commissioner, has allocated $100,000 for Hoyt House preservation.

Organizations, including Hudson River Heritage and the newly formed Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance, have vowed to restore the luster to the tarnished historical gem.

"We have reached a pivotal point in our vision to save Calvert Vaux's Hoyt House," said Alan Strauber, preservation alliance president. "Neither one person, nor organization, can do this alone."

Enjoy Albany and Troy!

2007-04-13T07:10:00.000-05:00

This weekend, and in upcoming weeks, there are many opportunities to explore, celebrate, promote, and support the revitalization of Albany and Troy. A few examples include:

Downtown Albany's Restaurant Week - Today and tomorrow are the last days of Downtown Albany's Restaurant Week (April 9-14). Twenty downtown restaurants -- fine dining, great pubs, Cajun to classic French -- are offering 3-course meals for 1 low price ($16.09 in honor of Henry Hudson of course; meals valued at $30, tax, alcohol, and gratuity not included). Participating restaurants include: Albany Mansion Inn, Albany Pump Statio, Amo La Bella, Bayou Cafe, Cafe Capriccio, The Comedy Works, Franklin's Tower, Hudson Harbor Steak & Seafood, Jack's Oyster House, Kelsey's Irish Pub, La Serre, Marche, McGeary's, Nicole's Bistro, Pagliacci Ristorante, Pearl Restaurant & Lounge, Savannah's, V&R, Victory Cafe, Webster's Corner.

Jackie Baldwin's Tapas Night - Voted "Best Tapas" -- Metroland '06. Sunday, April 15, 5-8 p.m. $40/person including sangria. Daisy Baker's, 32 2nd Street, Troy, 266-9200. Enjoy an exotic array of authentic Spanish tapas prepared by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's executive chef (and Pottery District neighbor and friend) Jackie Baldwin. We can attest that this will be great. This popular event began, and quickly outgrew its original venue at Carmen's Cafe in South Troy.

Reception to benefit St. Joseph's Church restoration at Albany Women's Club, Sunday, April 15th, 3:00 - 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact 626-0931. This is a project of the Historic Albany Foundation.

Albany's Dining Out for Life - Dine out and fight AIDS. When you dine out on Thursday, April 26 for breakfast, lunch or dinner numerous fine restaurants will donate 25% of your food bill to the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York. Restaurants from Albany, Clifton Park, Cohoes, Guilderland, Hudson, Latham, Plattsburgh, Saratoga Springs, and Troy are participating; Troy's participants include Flavour Cafe, River Street Cafe, and Tosca.

Gotta Get FUNded: A Masquerade Extravaganza - music, dancing, and delightful food; music by Annie and the Hedonists. This event will benefit the WCA's Building Restoration Fund and the Pick'n 'n Sing'n Gatherin's Performer Selection for the Gotta Get Gone Festival. For tickets and information, please call the Women's Club at 465-3626 or email womansclub [AT] hotmail [DOT] com. Reservations are encouraged. The building is not yet handicapped accessible.

Celebrate Albany and Restore St. Peter's Church - Historic St. Peter's Church cordially invites you to a reception and auction to benefit Lighting Restoration and Music Enhancement on Sunday, April 29, 4-8 p.m. at The State Room, The Dewitt Clinton Hotel, State and Eagle Streets, Albany. $75 per person/$125 per couple. For ticket information, call 434-3502, x. 5. There will be a cocktail buffet ("savor the taste of historic Albany menus"), live auction ("Win an exclusive tour of an Albany cultural treasure. Experience the Dudley Observatory, Washington Park gardens, Olana and other gems from the inside out--attic to cellar"), and silent auction ("Take home the sounds and tastes of Albany as well as antiques and ephemera of Albany's past and present").

Historic Albany Foundation's Walkabout Wednesdays. Want to learn more about the buildings and people of Albany's historic neighborhoods? The join Historic Albany Foundation as local historian and tour guide extraordinaire Tony Opalka takes you back in time. Each tour begins with a brief lecture and slide show. April 18th - "The Pastures" Tour; May 22nd - South End Tour; June 20th and July 18th TBA tours; August 15th - Ten Broeck Triangle tour; Fee is $5 for HAF members, $10 for non-members. Space is limited. To make reservations, please call HAF at 465-0876, x. 10 or email climniatis [AT] historic-albany [DOT] org.

Check Metroland's advertisements for more ideas, and don't blame us if you're bored!

Historic Preservation Shopping - Architectural Salvage in New England and New York

2007-04-10T10:54:00.000-05:00

If you, like many preservationists, harbor a secret enjoyment of shopping and are rehabilitating -- or are interested in someday rehabilitating -- an older or historic building, surf on over to New York City's real estate blog, Brownstoner (Brooklyn inside and out), which recently posted "Reno[vation] Bloggers Take New England Salvage Road Trip."

This entry points readers to Architectural Salvage Romp in New England, their well-illustrated review of eight salvage (and related) shops in New England, including:

Portland [Maine] Architectural Salvage & Antiques - which bills itself as "Urban elegance and sophistication with an antique and architectural past."

Decorum (Portland, ME) - whole house specialty hardware, "specializing in unique upscale kitchen, bath, door and cabinet hardware, accessories and curiosities."

Nostalgia Lighting (Portland, ME) - "Period, custom-made interior lighting" for the "Home, Cottage, Lodge, Timber Frame and Cabin - Fixtures Individually Made and Handcrafted."

Old House Parts Company (Kennebunk, ME) - "Architectural Salvage from 1730 to 1930 - You have the dream, we have the parts."

Victorian Lighting (Kennebunk, ME) - Couldn't load their web address.

Vermont Salvage (White River Junction and Manchester, VT) - "New England's premier company for architectural salvage."

Nor'east Architectural Antiques (South Hampton, NH) - Nor'East Architectural Antiques recently filmed a pilot for a new series about architectural salvage with the History Channel.

New England Demo & Salvage (New Bedford, MA)

I can't wait to check these out. If, however, you are in New York State, or wish to find architectural salvage businesses in New York, good starting places include Historic Albany Foundation's Architectural Parts Warehouse, and Historic Ithaca's Significant Elements - nonprofit architectural salvage programs. Proceeds from sales at both places support the parent historic preservation organizations.

Located at 89 Lexington Avenue in Albany (one block north of Central Avenue), the not-for-profit Architectural Parts Warehouse (photograph above from Historic Albany's web site) carries doors and windows, decorative iron work and stained glass, lighting fixtures, clawfoot and other tubs, plumbing accessories, sinks and toilets, mantels and fireplaces, radiators and heating, spindles, stair rails, newel posts, moldings, woodwork, flooring, and hardware. It's a great place to spend a few hours, support Historic Albany Foundation, and volunteer.

The February 22, 2007 edition of the New York Times also featured an article about architectural salvage shops in New York: Top of the Heap: A Business Built on Salvage.

As always, if you know of other places we may be interested in, please let us know in a comment. And thanks for reading. I will add links to other salvage places to this post if I hear of more.

Preservation in the News

2007-04-09T15:05:00.000-05:00

I've been working on several "meatier" posts, but am in a hurry today and wanted to post these interesting recent preservation articles from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun, Boston Globe, and Newsday before I lose track of them.

Preservation becoming an illusion (David Bahlman and Royce Yeater, Chicago Sun Times, 04/07/07), which describes the Commission on Chicago Landmarks' recent approval "...of a developer's plan to dismantle the 11-story Farwell Building on North Michigan Avenue, in order to erect a new structure that would house retail and office space along with a parking garage to serve a new 40-story condominium tower." Bahlman is president of Landmarks Illinois; Yeater is Midwest regional director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The danger of becoming skin deep, Chicago historic buildings become shells as new rules of preservation are letting city's history slip away (Blair Kamin, architecture critic, Chicago Tribune, Sunday, 04/08/07; free log-in may be required). Includes a slide show (14 slides) illustrating recent "facadectomy" projects in Chicago.

Urban puzzle (Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh, Boston Globe, 03/31/07), a review of three recently published books about gentrification: There Goes the Neighborhood, by William Julius Wilson and Richard P. Taub; There Goes the 'Hood, by Lance Freeman; and Black on the Block, by Mary Patillo. Mr. Venkatesh, a professor of sociology and African-American Studies at Columbia University is the author of Off the Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor.

NYC home to nation's only high school arts preservation program (Emily Zeugner, Newsday, 04/08/07). Ms. Zeugner writes about the Preservation Arts and Technology Program at the Brooklyn High School of the Arts which was founded in 2000.

Historic Preservation Employment

2007-04-06T09:51:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Elisabeth Bakker Johnson (BCon '02) for forwarding the following job announcements from The Louis Berger Group, Inc. and Mount Ida Press (both positions will be in Albany, New York):

Cultural Resource Division, The Louis Berger Group (Experienced Architectural Historian)

The Cultural Resource Division of The Louis Berger Group, Inc., (Berger), solicits applications for the position of Architectural Historian in our office in Albany, New York. This office primarily serves upstate New York and New England.

For this position, we seek a highly motivated and experienced individual to pursue quality historical architectural research in a cultural resource management context. Responsibilities will include historical research, architectural resource field survey, NRHP evaluations, effects assessments pursuant to 36 CFR 800, HABS/HAER-level documentation, and report writing. The position requires extensive travel for project assignments.

M.A. in Architectural History, History, or Historic Preservation plus excellent research and writing skills are required. Candidates must have at least three years professional experience in field survey and National Register evaluation of architectural resources in New England, preferably in the context of Section 106 compliance. Experience in interpretation and evaluation of engineering/industrial and military resources is desirable.

A preferred candidate will have working familiarity with Federal laws, regulations, standards, and guidelines governing cultural resources. Ability to communicate directly with a variety of clients in the public and private sector is a necessity as is the ability to work both on own initiative and as part of a team with other cultural resource professionals in the company. Applicants must have demonstrated ability to meet budget and schedule requirements. Prior experience with proposal writing and client interaction strongly desired.

We offer a competitive salary, negotiable based on experience. Full benefits package includes vacation, sick leave, holidays, medical/dental (free to employee), life/disability insurance, and 401K. This is a full-time, salaried position in one of the company’s primary offices, not a project appointment. The successful applicant must be willing to relocate to Albany and will be expected to travel for project assignments. Telecommuter options are not available for this position.

Submit résumé with references, a letter of interest, and a writing sample to:

Hope E. Luhman, Ph.D.
The Louis Berger Group, Inc.
20 Corporate Woods Blvd.
Albany, New York 12211
hluhman@louisberger.com

Mount Ida Press (Historical Research Associate)

Mount Ida Press is seeking an historical research associate to conduct documentary research and prepare written reports on landmark buildings and to assist with publications on architecture and history. Our award-winning projects include books and a quarterly magazine on historic preservation. Founded in 1985, we are a small, fast-paced company located in Albany, New York.

Excellent historical research skills (both in libraries and on the Internet) and outstanding writing skills are required. Most research projects will deal with the construction of nationally significant historic buildings and the people associated with them. Experience using original source materials, such as manuscript collections, is highly desirable. Experience preparing historic-structure reports, familiarity with historic-preservation principles and policies, and an interest in regional history are preferred. A love of books would be a plus. The ability to travel to libraries and archives in the Northeast is preferred.

Candidates must be able to develop project schedules, manage multiple priorities and projects, and meet deadlines. Candidates must be detail oriented and have strong organizational, word-processing, and communication skills. The ability to work well with staff at other organizations and with consultants is important.

Other duties will include assisting with copyediting and proofreading of Mount Ida Press publications, preparing correspondence, maintaining research files and databases, and assisting with marketing. The person in this position will also coordinate advertising and peer reviews for the quarterly magazine.

An academic background in history, architectural or art history, American studies, historic preservation, or English is strongly preferred. A bachelor’s degree and professional work experience are required; a master’s degree would be an asset. We offer an attractive benefits package. Salary level will be based upon skills and experience.

Please mail or email your resume and a cover letter explaining why you are right for the job; please also send a short research paper that demonstrates your research and writing skills (please do not send any illustrations by email). Send to Diana S. Waite, President, Mount Ida Press, 152 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210, or to info@mountidapress.com.

Get Involved: Earth Day Activities and Troy Night Out

2007-04-06T09:33:00.000-05:00

In his weekly address of April 5th, Mayor Tutunjian reports that last Friday's Troy Night Out was a great success, with more than 1,000 people attending (up from the estimated 300-400 in February's chilly debut event).

It was indeed a fun event. My little group of friends visited the Rensselaer County Historical Society's exhibition of portraits; Daisy Bakers, where we loaded up on Enjoy Troy T-shirts and tote bags; Martinez Gallery where we enjoyed art and antiques, and heard about the efforts of the fledgling Troy Cinema & Visual Arts Group; Market Block Books; and Kismet Gallery. We finally ended up having a fantastic dinner at Anselmos, which, though located at the north end of the Pottery District and Little Italy, we had never tried.

As the weather improves and word spreads about this monthly event, it will likely become increasingly popular. The next Troy Night Out will be April 27; mark your calendars now. If you are interested in actively participating, visit the Troy Night Out web site for a Venue Participation form. You can display art, decorate windows in a vacant storefront, dance, perform music, etc.

Also mark your calendars and plan to join your neighbors for the great Earth Day Cleanup. To get involved, visit the City's web site for a list of already planned projects or to spread the word about additional projects (also see Mayor Tutunjian's April 5th weekly message). The City will provide bags and refreshments. Residents provide equipment such as rakes and shovels, as well as labor. The Alamo in South Troy will be open for bulk refuse acceptance. This is usally a fun event, and if you are new to the city, it's a great way to get to know your neighbors.

Downtown Revitalization: Troy (continued)

2007-04-06T09:04:00.000-05:00

This morning's Times Union has a short piece about developer First Columbia's plans to build a parking garage in the existing parking lot across from the Hedley Building on River Street. The article also indicates that Mayor Harry Tutunjian and Kevin Bette of First Columbia recently addressed approximately 100 members of Commercial and Industrial Real Estate Brokers, Inc., a trade group. I will continue to post articles about redevelopment plans in Troy and have already posted several; if you are interested in this subject, scroll down or search the site.

From Times Union

Parking garage planned for Troy
Proposed River Street project will open up a key section for development

By Kenneth C. Crowe III, Friday, 04/06/07

TROY -- A 1,000-space, six-story parking garage is slated to be built later this year on River Street across from the Hedley Building, its developer said.

The garage will provide parking needed to construct a first-class hotel on the north side of The Hedley Building at 433 River St., said Kevin Bette of First Columbia of Latham.

Financing is being arranged to pay for construction of the parking structure, which would have entrances off River Street and from a road off Hutton Street. No cost estimate was given.

The hotel and garage are parts of the Hedley District, which envisions rejuvenation of a 25-block area in North Central Troy. Bette said 1,000 housing units, including space for housing aimed at graduate students, is included in the mixed-use development for the area.

Building the garage will open up land for development along the Hudson River, Bette said. Offices, the hotel and other development will replace 26 surface parking lots in the area.

Bette and Mayor Harry Tutunjian spoke to 100 members of the Commercial and Industrial Real Estate Brokers, Inc., a trade group, Thursday morning at the Hedley Building about development plans in the city.

"This is the type of development we want to attract to Troy," Tutunjian said.

Building owners are working with the city to develop apartments above storefronts downtown, something some other cities lack, the mayor said.

Green Building, Energy Efficiency and Historic Preservation

2007-04-04T15:34:00.000-05:00

New York City's Landmark West! will offer a seminar on Green Building, Energy Efficiency and Historic Preservation on April 25, 2007. The day-long seminar will explore the inherent environmental sustainability of historic buildings. Subtopics will include improving energy and building efficiency, how to incorporate green building philosophy into apartment renovations and recognizing what design elements can be restored and when replacement is necessary.

Another day-long seminar, the Evolution of Interior and Exterior Residential Building Design-Architectural Styles and Historic Preservation will be offered on May 9, 2007. Participants will be able to identify architectural styles and learn how to date buildings through analysis of specific building interior and exterior design elements and materials. Speakers will also address the evolution of apartment living, including interior plans and how interior and exterior design elements relate to one another.

Each of these one-day seminars will enable the participant to obtain 7½ hours of continuing education credits to meet the New York State requirement of 22½ hours. (Approval pending for May 9th lecture).

To register, please call (212) 496-1714 to charge your credit card or send a check for $75 to:

LANDMARK WEST!
45 West 67th Street
New York, NY10023

Location information for the seminars will be available upon registration.

Orson Squire Fowler and Octagonal Houses

2007-04-03T09:37:00.000-05:00

Google Alerts recently included a link to Laura Clementsen's neat article, "Octagon But Not Forgotten: The State's Eight-Sided Antiques" in the Sunday, March 18, 2007 edition of the Hartford Courant about Orson Squire Fowler's octagonal houses in Connecticut. In the article, Clementsen describes how, after reading another article about Fowler's octagonal houses in 1997, she decided to celebrate her birthday by touring around Connecticut to visit and photograph the 18 Fowler houses reportedly in that state. They found 15 of 18, and many are briefly described in Clementsen's article.

Among other accomplishments, Orson Squire Fowler (1809-1887) published "The Octagon House: A Home for All" in 1849 and was the country's "leading authority on phrenology, the supposed science of defining an individual's characteristics by the shape and contours of the head." As Clementsen notes, Fowler believed octagonal houses created more living area, were less expensive to build, had better circulation for heating and cooling, and received more natural light.

I first ran across Fowler and his houses when working on my master's thesis on Thomas Jefferson's octagonal historic house and retreat, Poplar Forest (in Bedford County, Virginia, not far from Lynchburg) many years ago and have always been fascinated by them.

However, I had, for the most part, forgotten Fowler. This article revived my interest and inevitably led to an impromtu Google search, more information and some great sources of information about octagonal and other unusually shaped buildings:

Orson Squire Fowler entry in Wikipedia (needs updating, some links broken)

Inventory of Older Octagon, Hexagon and Round Houses, a great annotated list of octagonal (and other) houses throughout the U.S. and Canada. Read the New York list here.

Preservation Online article: Eight Was Enough, by Carole Moore.

Round Barns and Covered Bridges, created and maintained by Dale Travis. The site has great links to additional web sites.

Article from The Old House Web: Octagon House: 1850-1860 which includes some nice drawings and photographs.

National Trust for Historic Preservation - 2007 Diversity Scholarship Program

2007-04-02T08:50:00.000-05:00

Here’s your chance to attend the National Preservation Conference
http://www.nationaltrust.org/scholarships/diversity_scholarship.html

Who should apply: Applicants (Students or Community Activists) should be from diverse social, economic, racial, ethnic or cultural backgrounds. It is the mission of the National Trust to increase its diversity outreach and to create an inclusive and diverse preservation-minded environment at the conference.

Financial Incentives: In addition to receiving substantial financial assistance on your lodging, travel, and conference registration cost, Diversity Scholars attending the conference for the first time will be paired with a mentor and have the opportunity to attend facilitated events.

Dates: This year's conference will take place October 2 - 6, 2007 in Saint Paul, MN. Please note the postmark deadline for submitting applications is June 1, 2007.

Who will be attending: Participants will include community and neighborhood leaders, public officials, affordable housing practitioners, architects, planners, historic site managers, developers, downtown revitalization specialists and other grassroots advocates.

Please contact Brent Leggs at 617-523-0885 x34 or via email at Brent_Leggs@nthp.org for additional information. Please feel free to spread the word through your own networks!

Enjoy Troy!

2007-03-30T14:47:00.000-05:00

As you may have noticed, we love to promote Troy. And today we'd like to point out that it's that time of the month again -- Troy Night Out, an evening of arts and culture -- which means time to get out, explore, and experience the arts scene here in our ever-improving river city. This event, which will occur monthly, actually began in February, when it was still bitterly cold and snowy. In spite of the weather, event organizers estimate that 300-400 people bundled up and enthusiastically visited over 30 venues. Given the relatively balmy weather forecasted for tonight, many more people are expected.

As noted on the event's web site, Troy Night Out offers opportunities to:

LOOK: Visit Troy's 20+ fantastic galleries and art venues to see artworks by established and emerging artists.

TOUCH: Shop till you drop! Antiques, clothes, gifts, books, and more.

TASTE: Hungry? Grab a light bite or an elegant meal.

HEAR: The night is young! We've got entertainment at several live music venues.

Links to many of the venues are available on our sidebar at right (scroll down!) as well as on the Troy Night Out web site (link above).

I, and several other BCon faculty members, will join other Pottery District residents to Enjoy Troy. Speaking of Enjoy Troy, while you're enjoying Troy Night Out, see how many Enjoy Troy stickers you can find in your travels. I see them all over -- on the back of cars, in shop windows, on back of street signs, and on T-shirts and ball caps. And, if you want your own genuine Enjoy Troy products, stop by Daisy Bakers restaurant at 33 2nd Street.

A few highlights (the web site lists 54 venues in all) include:

Violinist Joshua Bell performing at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

Paintings depicting the history of navigation on the Hudson River and beyond by Len F. Tantillo at Clement's Frame Shop and Art Gallery.

Vacant storefront artist projects scattered around downtown, including a video installation by Rees Shad at the Pioneer Market/Troy Food Coop.

A collaborative installation at 193 River Street, lighted entirely by candles.

The art of our Mayor, Harry Tutunjian, at Francesca's.

Be sure to visit the Troy Night Out web site and come to Troy. This event does much to bring people and organizations together, and highlights the many positive things going on in Troy right now. In addition to the major redevelopment projects we've mentioned in recent posts, there is all kinds of grass roots, neighborhood-based and collaborative activity going on -- the Troy Coop, Little Italy, Troy Cinema & Visual Arts Group (visit them tonight, and learn more about their efforts, at Martinez Gallery, 3 Broadway), Troy Waterfront and Winter Farmers Market, The Photography Center, etc.

If you can't join us tonight, join us for the next one, in April or another month. If you want to know more about Troy, check out the Troy and Rensselaer and Explore Troy links in the sidebar at right.

Also, as much as we love to promote Troy, we don't wish to discriminate against our urban neighbors and love to celebrate their successes as well. As described in this article by Kathryn Lurie in yesterday's Metroland, Albany is offering a similar arts evening (First Friday Albany) and it is rumored that Schenectady is thinking about doing one too -- Third Fridays.

All we need now is someone to take on Second Fridays....anyone? Ballston Spa? Glens Falls? Saratoga Springs? Hudson? Hoosick Falls? Cohoes?

Neighborhood Revitalization: Stylish Infill Housing

2007-03-30T10:45:00.000-05:00

As readers of this blog know, the City of Rochester, New York, has been doing some interesting work in the areas of neighborhood organization, revitalization, infill housing design and construction, and realtor training. This previous post describes some of the programs the city and associated organizations have developed and implemented, and yesterday's New York Times had this small piece in the Currents column in the Home and Garden section (copy by Aric Chen, photographs by James Rajotte, 3/29/07)[I added web links]:

"Last week the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America, a nonprofit group based in New York City, and Habitat for Humanity completed the first of several low-cost houses they are collaborating on to “bring better architecture to the realm of affordable housing,” said Paul Gunther, the institute’s president. Although the three-bedroom, 1,400- square-foot house in Rochester cost just $90,000 (it was constructed by a volunteer crew), it has Greek Revival details that allow it to blend into the historic neighborhood, said Richard Cameron, the designer. Nilsa Rivera, 24, the local resident who was selected to live there, will move in this weekend with her 2-year-old daughter, her fiancé and her brother; in June the institute will publish “A Pattern Book for Neighborly Houses,” a guide to building well-designed affordable housing."

The Projects page of Flower City Habitat for Humanity's (Rochester, New York) web site has additional information on this and other projects, including an article (on their News page) from the Democrat and Chronicle about the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America's project, which is also being carried out in Savannah, Georgia, and Norfolk, Virginia. By visiting their web site (click link above), I also discovered their blog, The Classicist. I have not had a chance to do much more than skim its most recent postings, but it looks very promising, with many rich photographs of (what else?) classical buildings and interiors, accompanied by thoughtful commentary. I've added a link to the blogroll at right (scroll down!).

Kate Mullany House Included in NYS Women's Heritage Trail

2007-03-29T17:45:00.000-05:00

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announced yesterday that the Kate Mullany National Historic Site on 8th Street (just north of Hoosick Street) here in Troy has been included in the newly created New York State Women's Heritage Trail. The Mullany House, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark, is the only site featuring an early trade leader and its inclusion will undoubtedly bring more visitors. Efforts are currently underway to restore the historic three-story house to what it was like when Kate Mullany lived there in the 1870s.

Here's the press release (with minor modifications in formatting):

STATE PARKS UNVEILS WOMEN’S HERITAGE TRAIL
22 Sites Celebrate the History of Women in New York State

(Albany, New York, Tuesday, March 27, 2007 . . . ) New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Acting Commissioner Carol Ash today announced creation of the New York State Women’s Heritage Trail designed to highlight the significant contribution of women in the history of New York State. The Heritage Trail is established by Heritage New York, a program within the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

“New York is home to countless women whose leadership and influence have shaped the history of our state and the future of our nation,” said Ash. “The Women’s Heritage Trail recognizes the significant contributions of these remarkable individuals and will serve as an important educational tool for generations.”

“These world class facilities focus on the daily life, culture and inspirational contributions of women in New York State,” said Ash of the Trail’s 22 designated sites or museums.

Notable sites along the Women’s Heritage Trail include the birthplace of the Women’s Right Movement at Seneca Falls; the homes of key women’s rights proponents such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton; and other influential women in history, including Harriet Tubman and Eleanor Roosevelt.

“It is fitting for the creation of the Women’s Heritage Trail, a celebration of the contributions of women to our state and national history, to be announced in March during Women’s History Month,” said Rich White-Smith, Director of Heritage New York. “The sites on this trail reveal the depth and diversity of women’s achievements and struggles through history, from nameless immigrants to national leaders.”

The mission of Heritage New York is to preserve, interpret and celebrate the many important events, places and people associated with the state’s history through a series of Heritage Trails based on significant historical themes. Heritage Trails include the Revolutionary War, the Underground Railroad and the Theodore Roosevelt. For more information on New York State Heritage Trails, visit www.HeritageNY.gov.

“By establishing this heritage trail linking the state’s remarkable landmarks, we are highlighting New York State’s unique role in advancing the cause of women’s rights, as well as emphasizing the important contributions of individual women in our nation’s history,” said Ash. “I invite all New Yorker’s to visit these sites and continue to learn about our history and all these facilities have to offer.”

The 22 New York State Women’s Heritage Trail sites include:

Matilda Joslyn Gage Home (Fayetteville);
Johnson Hall State Historic Site (Johnstown);
Marcella Sembrich Opera Museum (Bolton Landing);
Constitution Island-Warner House (Cold Spring);
Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Museum (Jamestown);
Susan B. Anthony House (Rochester);
Alice Austen House Museum (State Island);
National Women’s Hall of Fame (Seneca Falls);
Letchworth Museum & Council Grounds (Castile);
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (Hyde Park);
Historic Cherry Hill (Albany);
Harriet Tubman Home (Auburn);
Wilderstein Historic Site (Rhinebeck);
Howland Stone Store Museum (Sherwood);
Watervliet Shaker Historic District (Colonie);
Ganondagan State Historic Site (Victor);
Weeksville Heritage Center (Brooklyn);
Lower East Side Tenement Museum (New York);
Women’s Rights National Historical Park (Seneca Falls);
Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Steepletop House (Austerlitz);
Kate Mullany National History Site (Troy); and
Shaker Museum and Library (Old Chatham).

The Kate Mullany House is also included in the National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary, "Places Where Women Made History." This itinerary includes 74 sites in New York and Massachussets, and offers the following background history:

Kate Mullany (c. 1845-1906) House

This modest three-story brick house is the only surviving building associated with Kate Mullany, a young Irish immigrant laundry worker who in 1864 organized and led the all-female "Collar Laundry Union" labor union. Even though the women laborers of Lowell, Massachusetts and elsewhere had been organizing unions to protest working conditions and wages since the 1840s, early women's unions often only lasted as long as the particular issue under debate. The Collar Laundry Union, unlike so many other unions, remained an organized force in the industries of Troy, New York more than five years after its inception. The origins of Kate Mullany's union date back to the 1820s, when entrepreneurs established the nation's first commercial laundry in Troy to wash, starch, and iron a local invention, the "detachable collar." By the 1860s, Troy supplied most of America's detachable collars and cuffs, employing over 3,700 women launderers, starchers, and ironers. Working 14 hour days for $2 a week, the women launderers labored in oppressive heat. When owners introduced new machinery that increased production, but worsened working conditions, a young woman named Kate Mullany organized a union to demand change. In February of 1864, Mullany and 200 other workers formed the Collar Laundry Union. The well organized union struck and demanded a 25 cent raise, and the laundry owners capitulated a week after the strike began. The Collar Laundry Union remained active in Troy, often assisting other unions, and even attempted to establish an employee cooperative. Mullany herself gained national recognition in 1868, when National Labor Union President William Sylvis made her the first female appointed to a labor union's national office. One of the American labor movement's earliest women leaders, the home of Kate Mullany exemplifies a strong tradition of women's union activity. The property is not open to the public.

For additional background information, please see:

Kate Mullaney [sic]: A True Labor Pioneer, which includes a brief biblography.

Carole Turbin's book, Working Women of the Collar City.

Then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's July 15, 1998 remarks in front of the Kate Mullany house as part of her Save America's Treasures tour.

Downtown Revitalization: Troy (continued)

2007-03-26T09:04:00.000-05:00

This morning's Record has more details about developer First Columbia's plans for the neighborhoods at the north end of downtown Troy that surround Hedley Park Place and Flanigan Square, where a new hotel/conference center, offices, retail, and residential development have been proposed. For previous posts on this subject, please click here and here. For the developer's Hedley Park Place project web site, please click here.

From The Record

Developer building on Hedley's vision for Troy
By James V. Franco, Monday, 03/26/2007

TROY - While a home in Colonie is getting an extreme makeover, there are plans in the works to give a 25-block area surrounding Hedley Park Place and Flanigan Square the same treatment.

Last year, self proclaimed used car salesman and developer John Hedley sold his two buildings and his Cadillac dealership to First Columbia, a major commercial development company from Latham, with the hopes it would take his vision for the area and turn it into a reality.

While nothing is set in stone, the vision First Columbia has for the area between Federal and Jay streets and Seventh Avenue and the Hudson River includes a hotel, an office building, condominiums, a riverfront promenade, a couple of parks and a new parking garage.

All told, it could mean $500 million in direct and indirect investment into the city over 10 years.

One of the first steps, said First Columbia President Kevin Bette, is to build a 1,000-car parking garage on River Street across from Hedley Park Place to consolidate all the parking spots currently scattered about in different parking lots in one spot thereby opening up the lots for development.

"The parking lots strangle future growth in the neighborhood because all you do is park on the land," Bette said. "Once we get the parking garage built, it will free up the lots and we will start to develop the waterfront."

The next step is to construct a seven-story, 120-room hotel/conference center between Hedley Park Place and the Collar City Bridge. Bette said the hotel/conference center will take advantage of "the biggest economic engines Troy has now, which are the universities." Bette has been talking to major hotel chains to get a franchise and hopes to break ground this fall.

"There are three colleges and 20,000 students in Troy, and right now their conference needs are being met outside of the market," he said, adding the lodging and conference facilities will help support the existing restaurants and retail establishments. "It will bring more student life into that section of town."

The section of the city open to the public will also get a makeover with two urban parks, one at the end of Jacob Street near the marina and one near where the former Cadillac dealership now stands.

The objective, Bette said, is to get more activity at the marina and still maintain a place for the farmers market and craft fairs.

There are also plans for a 200,000 square-foot mixed use office building for the parking lot to the south of Hedley Park Place. It will feature retail on the ground floor, office on the next six floors and the top floor will be residential.

This section of the city is one of the most underutilized, and critical in the city with 60,000 cars coming across the Collar City Bridge daily and 30,000 coming across the Green Island Bridge, Bette said. Plus there are already 1,500 people working in the area.

"It needs to be an economic and vibrant area for the city to flourish," Bette said. "We have the jobs here already and we want to add to it."

The plan, capacity and commitment to carry it out is one reason Hedley sold the two massive former manufacturing buildings he converted into office space to First Columbia. While Troy has had a steady stream of developers promising the moon and sky, Hedley thinks First Columbia can pull it off.

"I personally think he can. When you are of that size and you have the wherewithal and the equipment and people in house already, these things can happen," Hedley said. "And I think he is very committed, and when someone is that committed and they have already proven they are willing to spend money in the city ... why not?

"To put up one or two buildings is one thing but I couldn't do a 25-block area. I'm just a used car salesman," Hedley said.

Mayor Harry Tutunjian said the city will work with First Columbia and would consider extending Industrial Development Agency assistance. He did add the company has not said it would not move forward without the assistance either. He compared the scope of the plan to the Congress-Ferry Street corridor project, which Hedley is also involved in, and said construction on the two projects could happen at the same time.

"It is this type of for-profit construction that has been long overdue in the city of Troy," Tutunjian said. "It is nice to have organic growth and development and not development fueled by public dollars like (Schenectady's) Metroplex."

Bette said it would be easier to buy 50 acres of land in Clifton Park and start from scratch, and it would be easier yet to be a major landlord in the city by operating Hedley Park Place and Flanigan Square, but added, "We can't keep on cutting down trees and building suburban office parks or we will be shooting ourselves in the foot.

"We can't keep the blinders on and not worry about downtowns. John (Hedley) wanted to help Troy, and that is why he sold us the buildings. Some say we were crazy and things like 'the neighborhood is no good' and we do know that, but we feel we are up to the challenge."

BCon Weekend Update: Traditional Trades and Crafsmanship

2007-03-24T16:43:00.000-05:00

BCon students (with visiting prospective student) spent another day with adjunct professor Don Carpentier at Eastfield Village (if you missed my previous post about the Traditional Trades and Craftsmanship class, Don Carpentier, and Eastfield Village, and would like to know more, please read this).

After a brief review of molding profiles, terminology, and construction techniques at the restored William Briggs Tavern (pictured above), the class walked to Eastfield Village's restored, fully equipped Woodshop (pictured below), a short distance away.

There, Don demonstrated the proper use of wood planes, then turned the woodshop over to the students to experiment and learn how moldings were historically made. The shop contains several hundred wood planes from various periods of history and additional hand tools Don has collected over the years.

Everyone got a chance to practice, getting a feel for the wood and various planes, and asking numerous questions.

When everyone had tried planing wood into moldings, the class returned to the William Briggs Tavern, where Don presented a slide show illustrating the evolution of the fireplace, bake ovens, and chimneys. The class broke for lunch (bag lunches brought from school), finished the slide presentation, and then spent most of the afternoon studying brickwork, fireplaces, bake ovens and chimneys at the numerous Eastfield Village buildings.

Don announced that the 2007 schedule of summer workshops is nearly complete and brochures will soon be mailed and posted on the Eastfield Village web site. These 3-5 day hands-on, highly intensive, and immensely popular workshops are open to the public; click the Eastfield Village link above if you're interested!

BCon Weekend Update: Friday Classes

2007-03-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

It has been a hectic weekend for the Building Conservation program. Classes got off to an early start with a rare Friday morning Preservation Law Class. After adjunct professor Dorothy Miner's presentation, small teams of students presented and discussed the case briefs that were assigned two weeks ago. Each team then received another set of cases to brief and prepare for discussion for the next class in several weeks.

After breaking at noon for a brief group lunch (catered in) and some library time, classes resumed with Professional Practice. This week's guest speakers were Joe Fama, Executive Director of the Troy Architectural Program, Inc., a not-for-profit housing and community design center, and Beth Cumming, Building Conservation alumna ('02) and historic preservation tax credit specialist at the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Joe spoke about TAP's recent projects in Troy and Greene County, New York, adaptively reusing former school buildings into affordable housing and programs to market older and historic former commercial and industrial space. Beth, and adjunct professor Ruth Pierpont, spoke about the role of historic preservation tax credits and other NYS OPRHP programs.

Shortly after the conclusion of Professional Practice, students dove into Preservation Design Studio. Discussion and activity focused on needs identified at the March 9th community meeting, completing the existing conditions report for the Upper Congress Street/Mt. Ida neighborhood study, and reaching agreement on final products. After agreeing on the various sections to be completed for the existing conditions analysis, students outlined subjects and graphics for a final Powerpoint presentation and a web site for the Mt. Ida neighborhood. The web site will include a .pdf file of the exististing conditions analysis of the neighborhood, resource documents, historic maps and photographs, recommended projects, neighborhood/city contacts and resources, and helpful links. Completed "blue form" survey sheets will also be included for each building in the neighborhood, along with design guidelines.

Preservation Design Studio included a working dinner, which, like lunch, was catered in. As is periodically the case, students and faculty were pleased to welcome a prospective BCon student, a restoration mason from Kent, Ohio who was visiting for the weekend.

Preserving the Recent Past - Buildings of Paul Rudolph

2007-03-23T14:46:00.000-05:00

Modern architect Paul Rudolph's buildings have been in the news a lot lately. There was a flurry of activity surrounding the recent demolition of a Rudolph-designed house in Westport, Connecticut a month or so ago, as well as the threatened demolition of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield building in Boston, Massachusetts (to make room for a new 80-foot tower) and Riverview Highschool in Sarasota, Florida.

Today's New York Times continues this trend, with A Road Trip Back to the Future, Fred A. Bernstein's interesting, well-illustrated, and meaty article describing his recent tour of Rudolph buildings in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey, including the Orange County Government Center in Goshen, NY; University of Massachusetts' Dartmouth Campus, where "two vast, twisting [concrete] buildings circle a campanile;" Jewett Art Center at Wellesley College; the Government Service Building, First Church, and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Building in Boston, Massachusetts; Yale Art and Architecture Building in New Haven, Connecticut; and Tracey Towers in New York City. A slide show of the buildings is included.

In the Arts Briefly column, today's Times also reports that Boston's Landmarks Commission imposed a 90-day demolition delay on the Blue Cross/Blue Sheild Building on March 13, 2007, and that architect Renzo Piano has withdrawn from the project to build the 80-story tower on the building's site. The Times reports that the project's developer said that "the Boston firm CBT Architects intended to 'implement Piano's design, making appropriate refinements as needed during the design review process.'"

To review many more recent New York Times articles about Paul Rudolph and his architecture, click here to visit the Times Topic link.

Get Involved: Take Action Today to Save the Survivors' Staircase (NYC)!

2007-03-23T08:52:00.000-05:00

From the Lower Manhattan Emergency Preservation Fund (World Monuments Fund, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation League of New York State, Municipal Art Society, New York Landmarks Conservancy):

After months of hard work and consultation we have a window of opportunity to move forward with efforts to save the Survivors' Staircase -- the only remaining above-ground element of the World Trade Center AND move forward with the redevelopment plans for Lower Manhattan.

New York Governor Spitzer's administration and the Port Authority of NY & NJ have been working to explore moving the Stairs to a temporary home so that construction can move forward. Please take a moment today to encourage them to continue their efforts.

Two Easy Ways You Can Help (click the link below, read and scroll down page):

Email Governor Spitzer to thank him for his administration's willingness to listen to the public on the issue of how we can save the stairs while still moving forward with redevelopment of the World Trade Center site. Click link and scroll to bottom of page to generate a form email.

Email the Director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to urge them to continue their efforts to move the stairs to a temporary site until a permanent home can be found.

To read more about this exciting development and send your emails, CLICK HERE.

Upcoming Historic Preservation Conferences

2007-03-23T08:27:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to the Preservation League of New York State and The Attic blog (the "virtual home of the Department of Museum Studies' research students, University of Leicester, UK") for bringing these conferences to our attention.

2007 ANNUAL WORKSHOP & BARN TOUR
April 19-21
Albany, New York

If you're interested in barns and other rural vernacular architecture then this conference is for you! A variety of topics will be discussed, including:

barn stabilization and restoration techniques

conducting barn surveys

forming a local or statewide barn preservation group

historic barn types, especially those in the Hudson River Valley

protecting the endangered American barn & other farm buildings.

AGENDA:

Friday, April 20: NBA Annual Business Meeting – OPEN to all. Find out what other states are doing and talk about the future of the NBA. Dinner: Talk by noted barn historian Bob Sherman.

Saturday, April 21: NBA Annual Workshop - The latest information from nationally-known timber framers, barn historians & barn organizations. Dinner: Talk by timber framer Rudy Christian on the history of the tradesman.

Sunday, April 22: Barn Tour - We will visit 4 barns in the Albany area, stopping for lunch along the way and returning to the hotel by mid-afternoon.

Registration Fees:
Friday & Saturday $225 (Students: $100)
Saturday Only $125
Barn Tour $ 50
Location: Best Western Albany Airport Inn, 200 Wolf Road, Albany
518-458-1000 / www.bestwestern.com
A block of rooms has been reserved at $79/night.

For Registration Materials contact Katie at Woodford Brothers, 800-653-2276

OPEN SOURCE HISTORY - MAKING HISTORY PUBLIC CONFERENCE
April 19-21, 2007
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Join the American Association for History and Computing (AAHC) and Brown University's Public Humanities Program for an innovative look at how technology allows increased dialogue between historians and a broad public audience. This conference will be of interest to anyone concerned with bringing history to a general audience, including museum professionals, archivists, librarians, historic preservationists, filmmakers, as well as academic historians.

The conference will explore:

The role of technology in breaking down the barriers between historians and the public

Ways that historians have used technology to communicate with diverse audiences

How the practice of "academic history" changes when made public

New forms of collaboration between historians, archivists, librarians, historic preservationists, teachers and students

New forms of display and historical representation

If you are an historian (academic, public, secondary education, graduate student), or engage history through a related discipline (librarian, archivist, publisher, editor, etc.), this conference will provide a chance to meet other professionals to discuss technology's use in history.

Special Events:

Brewster Kahle, Director and Co-founder, The Internet Archive, presents the keynote address: "Universal Access to Human Knowledge (Or Public Access to Digital Materials)" - Mark Tribe, professor of Modern Culture and Media at Brown, and founder of Rhizome.org, on The Port Huron Project

Workshops on digital libraries, video in historic preservation, 3-D laser scanning, text encoding, Zotero, and GIS!

Papers on on-line history, using geographic information systems in historical and historic preservation work, preserving digital collections, archives, and more!

For more information: http://theaahc.org/cfp.htm

Historic Preservation Blog Watch

2007-03-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

In the past couple of days, there have been some great posts on other historic preservation and history blogs:

The MyHomeTown Ohio blog, which I have mentioned several times, most recently posted a story about The Most Historic Small Town in Ohio. The post describes the efforts of ePodunk, a web site dedicated to the "power of place" in American communities, to identify the most historic small towns in the U.S. and establish a Historic Small Towns Index. EPodunk uses four criteria: the number of individual listings on the National Register of Historic Places, the size of any existing National Register Historic Districts, the average age of housing, and the use of the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit. Based on this criteria, ePodunk's Historic Small Towns Index identifies New York State's most historic small towns as Hudson (Columbia County), Essex (Essex County), and Cooperstown (Otsego County).

New York City's Historic Districts Council Newsstand provides a link to the Gotham Gazette's Reading NYC Book Club's transcript from a February 27, 2007 discussion of historic preservation with Kevin Walsh, author of the recently published book, Forgotten New York (based on a popular web site of the same name), and Roberta Brandes Gratz, former New York Post reporter, author of and The Living City and Cities Back from the Edge (with Building Conservation guest lecturer and Main Street revitalization expert Norman Mintz), and a Commissioner on New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The My Florida History blog, created and maintained by a historical research consultant in Tampa, Florida, recently wrote this post about numerous history-related blogs and has also added a blogroll feature with links to more history blogs (including, I am happy to say ours -- thanks!). Today's post talks about 300-400 brief radio program podcasts on the Florida Humanities Council's web site.

I will be adding more links to this blog's sidebar as time allows (scroll down to see them), so please be sure to check back -- and thanks for reading!

Downtown Revitalization: Albany, New York

2007-03-19T14:57:00.000-05:00

Another great article in yesterday's Times Union was Chris Churchill's "Downtown homesteading," which describes seven planned, in progress, or recently completed large scale downtown housing projects in Albany, along with the efforts of several smaller scale residential improvement projects. Among the large scale projects are:

Amos at Quackenbush Square - A $40 million, 11-story tower with at least 100 apartments proposed by Queri Development of Syracuse, New York;

733 Broadway - A $35 million, 9-story tower with 122 units proposed by Norstar Development USA of Buffalo, New York;

Wellington Row - A $62 million, 14-story office tower with 15 condominiums proposed by Columbia Development Cos., Albany, New York;

33 N. Pearl Street - A $600,000 conversion and renovation with six apartments recently completed by Mike Urgo (upper floors above Jonathan's pizza parlor), Albany, New York;

109 State Street - $650,000 renovation with nine apartments currently under construction by AR Building & Construction, Albany, New York;

111-113 State Street, $630,000 renovation with 11 apartments recently completed by AR Building & Construction, Albany, New York; and

889 Broadway, undisclosed cost, conversion of four-story building and construction of four-story building with 44 condominiums.

The article reports that a market study commissioned by the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District and recently completed by Zimmerman/Volk Associates Inc. of Clifton, N.J., found that a market exists for about 2,400 housing units. As is true in many places where downtown housing is being constructed or renovated, it is hoped that increased choice and better quality of housing will help bring more people downtown.

The target markets are "empty nesters" and young professionals. Among the latter category is Matt Baumgartner, proprietor of Albany's popular Bomber's Burritos Bar (158 Lark Street) and Noche Lounge (895 Broadway) -- one of many young entrepreneurs creating notable arts, music, dining, and retail establishments in the Capital District's historic downtowns. He recently paid $225,000 for an old industrial building on Learned Street and plans to rehabilitate the building into two apartments, one of which he will occupy himself.

The article compares the Albany housing activity to similar situations in Denver, Colorado (Lower Downtown neighborhood), Boston, Massachusetts (Fort Point Channel area), Hartford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island. It also states that in "the Capital Region, Albany has fallen behind cities such as Saratoga Springs, where hundreds of new apartments and condos have been constructed, and Troy, which has seen significant rehabilitation of older apartment units." The article continues:

Some say the Albany lag results from redevelopment decisions that brought Empire State Plaza and ubiquitous highway ramps.

"What you see there now is a consequence of years of tragic decisions," said James Howard Kunstler, the Saratoga Springs-based author of "Geography of Nowhere" and other books on the urban environment.

Added Saratoga Springs developer Jeffrey Pfeil, who is converting a former department store in Troy [the former Stanley (Gay) building at 3rd and State Streets] into apartments [to be called The Conservatory because of its proximity to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall]:

"the incentive (for developing housing) in Troy is that it's got a wealth of fabulous architecture, and, unlike in Albany, most of the architecture wasn't torn down over the years."

The J.W. Pfeil Company also recently completed a project involving adaptive reuse of a former textile factory into the Powers Park Lofts condominiums (387 Third Avenue) in the Lansingburgh section of Troy. Available units sold out quickly.

Historic Preservation, History, and Heritage in the News

2007-03-19T12:10:00.000-05:00

It took forever to read the Sunday editions of New York Times and Albany Times Union yesterday. There were numerous lengthy articles relating to history, heritage, authenticity and visitor or shopping experience, and historic preservation. Some of the articles may be a bit of a stretch for this blog, but all are interesting, worth reading, and related in some way to the preservation of history, arts, and culture.

A sampling of the more relevant articles in the New York Times includes (login may be required):

A Room for the Night (Not 40 to Life) (Alison Gregor, 3/18/07) - describes the conversion of the former Charles Street Prison (near Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston's Beacon Hill) into the somewhat humorously named Liberty Hotel. The $110 million reconstruction project includes a new 16-story tower adjacent to the former jail, which began operating in 1851, and the demolition of a daunting wall that separated the institution from the community since around 1940. The hotel will have 298 rooms, of which 20 will be in the old jail building, which had been vacant for 12 years. The project's developer, Carpenter & Company, became interested in the site because of its architectural significance and prime location with views of downtown Boston and the Charles River. The old jail is a "cruciform with four wings, [and] the structure has thick granite walls that enclose a soaring 90-foot atrium at its center — once used as an exercise yard — which is topped by a cupola. Soon, four huge chandeliers, 10 feet in diameter, will hang from winches over entrances leading to two upscale restaurants — one to be called Bread and Water — along with a 3,000-square-foot ballroom off the atrium." The architects are Cambridge Seven Associates and Ann Beha Architects. The project will likely receive $17 million in federal and state historic preservation tax credits and will include interpretive exhibits about the former prison's history. In addition to describing the Boston project, the article also indicates that adaptive reuse of former prison and jails is increasingly popular, referencing jail to bed-and-breakfast and youth hostel conversions; conversion of the Bexar County Jail (constructed in 1878) into San Antonio, Texas' Comfort Inn Alamo Riverwalk, conversion of Sultanahmet Prison in Turkey (contructed in 1918) into the 65-room Four Seasons Istanbul, depicted in the 1978 film "Midnight Express;" and conversion of Her Majesty's Prison Oxford into the Malmaison Oxford Hotel [England].

A Chinese Village Struggles to Save the Dying Language of a Once Powerful Dynasty (David Lague, 3/18/07) - Noting that the decline of the Manchu language has become a serious obstacle for historians studying the Qing dynasty, this article describes the efforts of a small group of village residents, including 18 that are over 80 years old, to preserve the Manchu language. As the article notes, the residents are "descendants of seminomadic tribesmen who conquered China in the 17th century, they are the last living link to a language that for more than two and a half centuries was the official voice of the Qing dynasty, the final imperial house to rule from Beijing and one of the richest and most powerful empires the world has known. With the passing of these villagers, Manchu will also die, experts say. All that will be left will be millions of documents and files -- about 60 tons of Manchu-language documents are in the provincial archive in Harbin alone -- along with inscriptions on monuments and important buildings in China, unitelligible to all but a handful of specialists." An earlier article, Manchu Language Lives Mostly in Archives (David Lague, 3/17/07) and a video in which an elderly resident speaks and sings in Manchu are also available.

Another article, In Aisle Three, Couch Potatoes Trying the MP3s (Michael Barbaro, 3/18/07), discusses retailers' growing use of a newish concept called "experience marketing," to sell more products to customers. Experience marketing can and should be a key aspect of downtown/Main Street revitalization programs rooted, of course, in older and historic downtown buildings and neighborhoods. The article notes that the experience marketing concept harkens back to the frequently changing themed displays at department stores in past years, and focuses on recent stores opened by Samsung, AT&T, Verizon, and Maytag (where customers can bake cookies in Maytag convection ovens, put pants through the gentle cycle of a washing machine, or put their best china through a dishwasher). Although Apple [computer] gets only a passing mention, it was perhaps the first company to use the concept in its retail stores and Starbucks and Barnes & Noble have also used the concept for years. For additional information about how Starbucks uses experience marketing, read The Starbucks Aesthetic (Susan Dominus, New York Times, October 22, 2006).

Chasing the Ultimate Waterfall (Michael Joseph Gross) - the author relates how he began each day in the summer of 2005 by reading the books of explorer David Livingstone and then traced Livingstone's route to Victoria Falls in November of that year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his discovery of the falls.

And, for fun, a great article about Ina Garten, a k a "The Barefoot Contessa," who like "The Naked Chef," Jamie Oliver -- and other chefs, farmers, and foodies -- long ago recognized the importance of fresh, locally produced food and the importance of place:

The Barefoot Impresario (Micheline Maynard, 3/18/07)

The Times Union included "French aristocrat tale hides in Albany archives," Paul Grondahl's very interesting review of Sheila Kohler's forthcoming historical novel "Bluebird, or the Invention of Happiness." The book describes aristocrat Henriette Lucy Dillon's February 1794 flight from the angry mobs and guillotines of Paris and subsequent resettlement in Albany. The author will be talking about her research and will read from the book on Thursday, March 22nd at 8 p.m. as part of the Visiting Writers Series of the New York State Writers Institute at the University of Albany. The free public event will take place at Assembly Hall, Campus Center, University at Albany uptown campus, 1400 Washington Avenue. An informal seminar for writers will also be held at 4:15 p.m. in Assembly Hall. For more information, call 442-5620 or visit http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/.

Realtor Training in Saratoga Springs

2007-03-16T14:23:00.000-05:00

The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation is offering a realtor training program on March 22, 2007. Upon completion of the program, "Successfully Marketing Historic Properties," participants will be able to explain the basics of historic preservation and its impact on the quality of life, locate properties in national and local historic districts, understand the benefits and responsibilities of owning a home or commercial propertity in a historic destrict, describe the design review process and discuss the tax credit options available to home and commercial property owners in New York State. The program is sponsored by Ballston Spa National Bank.

Space is limited and the registration deadline was yesterday, but you may still be able to get in. The course fee is $40 for members and $55 for non-members (includes a one year membership in SSPF). For more information, please call (518) 587-4030.

If you are interested in historic preservation training programs for realtors, you may also want to read the overview of realtor training programs that I posted earlier this month.

Downtown Revitalization: More About Hedley Park Place, Downtown Troy

2007-03-16T13:27:00.000-05:00

City of Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian provides a few more details about First Columbia's plans to redevelop Troy's waterfront at the north end of downtown in his latest weekly message:

March 15, 2007

For the second consecutive week we spent a fair amount of time this week discussing possible economic opportunities along the Hudson River. Last week the big talk centered around the demolition of City Hall and construction of new office or hotel space in its footprint. An exciting project to say the least. This week plans surfaced for a section of riverfront north of City Hall along River Street.

For those that have not heard anything about this project as of yet you can visit www.hedleyparkplace.com

The developer involved in this project is First Columbia out of Latham, which first purchased buildings formerly owned by John Hedley last year. For the better part of a year we have been meeting with Kevin Bette from First Columbia to discuss this project. As you will see from the website, they envision this as a project that is, “A Vision for a Vibrant Waterfront District in Downtown Troy.”

I wholeheartedly agree. This project, or development, or idea, is different than anything we have discussed in Troy for a long time. The reason for that is quite simple. We are not talking about developing a plot of land like City Hall. And we are not talking about an empty 14-acre site like the $160 million Congress-Ferry Street project.

Instead this is a plan that will completely transform not one, but several neighborhoods in the City of Troy. First Columbia calls it the Hedley District and estimates that the impact years from now will be felt by more than the two-dozen surrounding blocks. This is a reputable developer that would like to spend their own money to build retail shops, commercial offices, a hotel, and riverfront amenities that will change the way of life for those in North Central, Columbus Square, and Downtown. Just thinking about it makes me smile.

For the better part of three years, I have talked about creating an environment for growth. Cleaning the streets and improving public safety leads to a better quality of life. When you combine that with the unique past and architectural infrastructures here in Troy, we are living in an era where the time is ripe for development. We are at a point here in Troy where we can increase our tax base, living options, and overall aesthetic value, and I am proud to be a part of the wonderful change.

If you have any questions on these topics, please do not hesitate to call my office or shoot us an email at mayorsoffice@troyny.gov [or call me at (518) 270-4401].

If you did not see the article in the Times Union on Tuesday, you can find a link and read more about the project in Tuesday's post below. You can also visit First Columbia's project web site -- Hedley Park Place -- which includes a "community master plan" rendering, watercolor elevations of potential buildings to be constructed, and additional information.

Of course, it goes without saying that this project owes much to former Hedley Cadillac owner and Troy visionary John Hedley, who was promoting, buying and adaptively using Troy's industrial waterfront and downtown commercial buildings twenty years ago, when few others were interested. His past projects include Hedley Park Place (the former Cluett-Peabody building), Flanigan Square, and the Market Block. His current project, along with the City of Troy, Rensselaer County, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy Housing Authority and other developers, is the redevelopment of lower Congress Street, which includes substantial streetscape improvements as well as redevelopment Troy Housing Authority's former Ahern Apartments site for housing (market rate and affordable), offices, and retail.

Thank you, John!

NEWS: Los Angeles County Museum of Art Considering "House Collection"

2007-03-16T10:35:00.000-05:00

I've recently posted about Colonial Williamsburg's potential sale of Carter's Grove, one of their many historic buildings, as well as the struggles of historic house museums in general. Now, as reported yesterday in the New York Times, a different and creative twist to protecting historic buildings may be on the horizon: the director of The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is thinking about collecting "significant pieces of midcentury residential architecture, including houses by Rudolph M. Schindler, Richard Neutra, Frank Lloyd Wright and his son Lloyd Wright," and "treating them as both museum objects and as residences for curators."

Of course, a number of organizations own and operate multiple historic houses or buildings as museums (Historic New England, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to name just a few), and I've heard that a few organizations have established programs where preservation-minded people can "live in a landmark" as a means of protecting and occupying threatened vacant historic buildings. And in England, it is possible for vacationers to rent historic buildings for short-term stays from the National Trust.

Mr. Govan's initiation and consideration of this effort to protect Los Angeles' modern architecture is not really a surprise. Before moving to Los Angeles, he was director of The Dia Art Foundation in New York for 12 years. In that capacity, as many of our readers will know, he envisioned and spearheaded the fantasic Dia:Beacon project in Beacon, New York. The Dia:Beacon project involved the adaptive use of an abandoned industrial building on the Hudson River waterfront to a quarter-million square feet of gallery space for modern works in its collection which had formerly been seen on an infrequent basis in scattered locations. My brief description here does not do it justice; it was a great project and is a great place, well worth a visit.

For more information about Dia and the Dia:Beacon project, read this collection of [The New York] Times Topics articles.

From The New York Times

03/15/07

A Museum Takes Steps To Collect Houses

By Edward Wyatt

LOS ANGELES, March 14 — Shortly after moving here last year to take over as director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Michael Govan started looking at houses — not as a place for him to live but as potential museum pieces.

His idea — one that has rarely, if ever, been tried on a large scale by a major museum — is to collect significant pieces of midcentury residential architecture, including houses by Rudolf M. Schindler, Richard Neutra, Frank Lloyd Wright and his son Lloyd Wright, and to treat them as both museum objects and as residences for curators.

While he has yet to acquire any properties, Mr. Govan said this week that he certainly had his eye on some, including Frank Gehry’s landmark residence in Santa Monica, a collage of tilting forms. In an interview Mr. Gehry confirmed that Mr. Govan had discussed the idea with him but said that no agreements about the house’s future had been reached.

Mr. Govan, who moved here in March 2006 from New York, where he directed the Dia Art Foundation, said his project had been driven by the immediate impression that in Los Angeles, a city defined by outdoor spaces, architecture is inseparable from art.

“It started with an effort to rethink the museum, looking at the resources that are both locally powerful and internationally relevant,” he said. “It’s clear that the most important architecture in Los Angeles is largely its domestic architecture. I’ve talked certainly to a number of people who have interesting architecture, and I’m beginning to talk to other people about raising funds to preserve these works.”

The potential cost of the houses varies widely. Many of the most distinctive properties, in Beverly Hills or the Hollywood Hills, have most recently sold for millions of dollars. Others, like Schindler’s Buck House, on Eighth Street, barely two blocks from the museum, sold for less than half a million dollars in 1995, although it clearly would be worth more than double that today.

Mr. Govan was reluctant to discuss his plans in detail, partly because he has taken only “baby steps,” he said, but also because he does not want to set off bidding wars for houses in which he is interested. He said he hoped the museum could either buy houses or have them donated, the same ways that a museum would go about acquiring paintings or sculptures.

“This whole initiative will depend on generosity,” he said. “In the same way that someone would donate a Picasso, we want people to think of ways to see these houses as works of art and to think about ways to preserve them.”

Although he said he had received an “enthusiastic response” when he presented the idea to the museum’s trustees, “we have no funds at the moment” dedicated to the effort, he added.

But the idea has already started to generate chatter in the architecture community here. Richard Koshalek, president of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and a former director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, said Mr. Govan’s effort was “not only crucial for the city of Los Angeles but for the history of modern architecture.”

“Architects learn from other architects,” Mr. Koshalek said. “This history will be lost if people like Michael do not take this kind of initiative.”

While owning an architecturally significant house in Los Angeles has long carried a certain cachet, many potentially valuable works have fallen into disrepair or been greatly altered by renovations undertaken by a succession of owners.

“A number of them haven’t been touched,” Mr. Govan said. “But many have been badly renovated and fundamentally changed. So I think it’s kind of the last chance to try to preserve a group of these as a collection.”

Mr. Govan’s idea is perhaps all the more remarkable because the Los Angeles County Museum does not have a department of architecture or design, unlike some older institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

But one of the museum’s first acquisitions after Mr. Govan moved to Los Angeles, after 12 years as director of Dia, was a high-rise office interior by the Modernist architect John Lautner.

The Lautner office was formerly owned by James F. Goldstein, a real-estate investor who had Lautner design the space in 1987 for the 20th floor in a building in Century City, the commercial development on Santa Monica Boulevard in west Los Angeles.

In 2005 Mr. Goldstein was informed that his lease for the space would not be renewed, and a foundation devoted to saving Lautner works began seeking a patron who would preserve the space.

The Los Angeles County Museum initially turned down the proposal because museum officials felt it did not have the room to display the 800-square-foot office. But once Mr. Govan arrived, he seized the opportunity to acquire the work for an undisclosed amount and use it not as an exhibit but as an office — specifically, his.

The museum now plans to install the office, which includes copper walls, a wood ceiling and a floor of black slate, as part of the renovation of the May Company building, a former department store that is on the western edge of the museum’s 20-acre campus on Wilshire Boulevard. That renovation is planned for 2008 or 2009, and Mr. Govan said he hoped to use the space as his regular office, allowing visitors access to it as an exhibit on weekends.

Similarly, he said he hoped to use the houses that he collects not strictly as museum pieces but as housing for museum staff members, a perk that he said he believed would help the museum attract new curatorial talent.

“A lot of curators here have sought out interesting houses,” he said. “I thought, ‘You could just have house tours on a regular basis to allow the public to have access to them.’ ”

Although it does not have a design collection as such, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has hardly ignored the city’s architectural history. In 1987 it organized a tour in the Silver Lake community of houses by Schindler, Neutra and other architects of the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. In 1965 the museum published “A Guide to Southern California Architecture,” a book that, although out of print, is prized by real-estate agents here who specialize in architectural gems.

Various Los Angeles organizations have also sponsored tours of houses that were built as part of the Case Study program: two dozen prototypes of modern architecture, by Charles and Ray Eames, Neutra and Pierre Koenig, among others, that were commissioned by Art & Architecture magazine and built from 1945 to 1964.

Silver Lake, an area around a man-made reservoir in the hills east of Hollywood, is the site of dozens of houses that would be potential acquisitions for the museum. The 2200 block of Silver Lake Boulevard, for example, has no fewer than five houses by Neutra, who was encouraged to migrate from Vienna to Los Angeles by Schindler, who was himself born in Austria and had worked in Chicago and Los Angeles as a construction supervisor for Frank Lloyd Wright.

Schindler’s work is also ubiquitous around Los Angeles. In 2001 the magazine ArtForum listed 32 significant works by Schindler, several in the parts of Los Angeles that visitors to the city rarely get to, including Torrance, Glendale, South Central and Woodland Hills.

Mr. Govan said that because the institution was a county museum, he did not intend to limit his collection to the area immediately around the museum’s west Los Angeles location.

With Mr. Govan’s plans already being discussed in architecture and real estate circles, the museum is certain to face some competition to acquire properties, including that of Mr. Gehry. His Santa Monica house, built in 1978 and remodeled in 1993, is known for its distinctive exteriors, which include corrugated metal, plywood and chain-link fencing.

It is also in the sights of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Mr. Gehry said, which has talked to him about its registering the house or acquiring it once he completes a new residence in nearby Venice, Calif.

“In the meantime,” Mr. Gehry said, “I’m living in it.”

Historic Preservation: Get Involved

2007-03-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

Surfing over to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preservation Online today, I read in their story of the week that they are introducing a new feature, Before and After: Scenes from the Past and Present, a new web-only department to document both successes and slip-ups: images of the good, the bad, and the ugly. It looks like an interesting new feature, and will offer a great way for preservationists to share good restorations, and the all-too-common bad examples, known to many as "remuddlings." This, of course, reminded me of Old House Journal's longstanding "Remuddling" feature and some of the appalling photographs readers have shared over the years. The Trust encourages readers to email photographs of good and bad projects to preservation[AT]nthp.org.

Being on the Trust's web site reminded me that third annual Preservation Month (May) is fast approaching. Throughout May, the National Trust and its thousands of partners across the country will demonstrate the importance of our nation’s heritage as they focus on many aspects of the preservation movement including historic travel, heritage education, historic homeownership, and community revitalization. Local celebrations will highlight the unique culture and traditions of different areas of the country. This year's theme is "Making Preservation Work." The event's web page includes links to a sample press release, publicity plan directions, a public service announcement template, and sample activities. Here in Troy, recent Preservation Week (the month's predecessor) and Preservation Month activities have included a local preservation and rehabilitation workshop, historic hourse tours, lectures, preservation-related articles in local media and similar events.

In addition to preservation month activities, it would be great if our readers facilitated local distribution of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's newspaper insert. Working with The History Channel and the Newspaper in Education Institute, the Advisory Council recently created a 20-page newspaper supplement and companion document celebrating and explaining the importance of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) to commemorate its 40th anniversary.

As noted on the ACHP's web site, the insert began to arrive at driveways and schools across the nation the morning of Oct. 10, 2006, when it was distributed in The Washington Times. The material is designed to be printed, distributed, and used throughout the 2006-2007 school year. The insert can be obtained and printed by newspapers, as well as used electronically by teachers and students nationwide. It is available to daily newspapers through the Newspaper In Education Institute. It also is available in both high and low resolution formats at www.achp.gov/NIE.

The goal of the NIE insert (and its companion document of additional heritage stories including more communities and states) is to create a broader understanding of the importance of historic preservation on the local and national levels, and the continuing important role of the NHPA in contemporary society. It does so by recounting how authentic experience of places of natural and cultural heritage benefit communities and the nation. The cultural, educational, and economic benefits of historic preservation are highlighted. It also serves as a primer of information regarding the NHPA and the national preservation structure it created, explaining how and why so much of America’s heritage resources have been saved and put to productive contemporary use.

The insert and companion document contain examples and stories of preservation activities across the nation, as well as information on the importance of learning history and the benefits of preservation. This information can help teachers and editors find stories relevant to curricula and local history and serve as a source to spark lessons and stories that enlighten and entertain students and readers.

Recent Preservation-Related News Stories

2007-03-13T15:25:00.000-05:00

It is a big news day in Troy...although we still have a long way to go, we keep hearing about new projects that have a lot of potential for improving the city and continuing the positive momentum.

A few weeks ago, we heard about improvement plans for the lower and upper portions of Congress Street (three separate but related projects). Last week we heard about evolving plans for City Hall (or the future city hall site).

This week, there are articles about redevelopment along the Troy waterfront at the north end of downtown (click link for project web site and see below for more information), as well as efforts to advance redevelopment of architect William Demers' handsome three-story, brick, Renaissance Revival style Haskell School (constructed in 1894) at 150 Sixth Avenue, in the Lansingburgh section of Troy, which has been vacant for quite awhile now.

Demers was the architect of numerous Troy buildings, including the RPI "Approach," Beman Park Hose Co. No. 9 (the subject of BCon's first historic structure report-oriented Preservation Design Studio), several churches, several private residences, and other buildings across New York State. Haskell School is listed in the National and State Register of Historic Places; click the link to read the nomination form.

Major Development Envisioned for Troy (Chris Churchill, Albany Times Union, 3/13/07) - Details Latham, N.Y.-based developer First Columbia's plans for the waterfront redevelopment in the downtown/North Central area of Troy. First Columbia recently purchased the Hedley Cadillac properties, as well as the former waterfront industrial buildings known as Hedley Park Place and Flanigan Square. The ambitious redevelopment plans, while still in the preliminary stages, call for "new office and condominium buildings, a seven-story hotel, and a waterfront promenade," among other things. The article continues "First Columbia has even taken the unusual step of commissioning a master plan for roughly 25 city blocks in an area bordered by Federal Street to the south and Jay Street to the north. The plan, which dubs the area "The Hedley District," calls for the eventual construction of dozens of buildings in the area just north of downtown and the Green Island Bridge.

Old Building Has Solid Potential (Kenneth C. Crowe II, Times Union, 3/13/07) - Describes the city's (and others) recent efforts to facilitate and encourage redevelopment of this historic school building near the border of Troy's North Central and Lansingburgh neighborhoods.

The New York Times has also had several preservation- or history-related articles that will be of interest:

History, Digitized (and Abridged) - (Katy Hafner, New York Times, 3/10/07) - About the potential loss or disappearance from view/memory of historic artifacts and materials because of digitization. Lengthy, but interesting and thought provoking. Reminds me of Nicholson Baker's now long-ago (1994) article in the New Yorker about the disappearance of library card catalogs as libraries moved to online card catalogs and databases.

Digging for the Roots of America (Donna Kornhaber and David Kornhaber, New York Times, 3/10/07) - Another lengthy but worthwhile read which describes an international conference on the origins of American theater held in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's extensive archeological investigations and research related to the possible reconstruction of the Williamsburg Playhouse, thought to be America's first theater. Includes several research-based elevation and section drawings.

INTERVIEW #1: Jamie Donahoe, Heritage Conservation Network

2007-03-10T23:22:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our first Building Conservation blog interview. Although I will probably start them off slowly, I hope to have interviews posted weekly or perhaps two or three times a month in the future. The interviews will be conducted mainly by email or telephone and will probably be longer than my usual posts. Our first subject is Ms. Jamie Donahoe, co-founder of Heritage Conservation Network, an organization that provides hands-on preservation skills training in diverse locations all over the world.

AF: Hello, Jamie, thank you for agreeing to do our very first Building Conservation blog interview. Since our main audience is our existing students, faculty, and prospective students, could you start by telling us how you became interested in historic preservation and initially got involved in the profession?

JD: I love old houses, and always have. When I was in high school, I would ride my bike out to small towns in then-rural northwestern New Jersey and take pictures of the houses there. I didn’t know anything about them, really, and it was only after I took an architectural history class in college that I realized I had a veritable timeline of 18th and 19th century styles right along my street in good old Long Valley. I had once planned to be an architect, but soon realized that very few people would want me to design the types of buildings I was interested in. My father, knowing of my interest in old houses, gave me a subscription to the National Trust’s Preservation Magazine and that got me started thinking in that direction.

I’d been spending my college summers in Washington DC with my sister and interned at the National Building Museum, then in its infancy, between junior and senior years and Preservation Action the following year. After receiving my Masters in Preservation Studies from Boston University, I moved to Boulder, Colorado with my boyfriend – now husband – and got involved with preservation there, volunteering with Historic Boulder and serving on the Board of Directors for many years. It was four years before I found a paying preservation job, with the National Park Service working with Section 106 mitigation and HABS/HAER, taking a major pay cut to do it, much to the amazement of the person who hired me. It’s been with my husband’s job that I’ve moved, first to San Francisco, then, eleven years ago, overseas to Croatia, Thailand, Switzerland and now Hong Kong. As I tell friends here, had I known way back when that I’d be living in all these places, I might have chosen to focus on something other than 19th century domestic American architecture, i.e. old houses, but I’m sure I’d still love them.

AF: What types of preservation projects have you been involved in during your career?

JD: I’ve worked on all kinds of projects and in many aspects of preservation. With Historic Boulder, I did a lot of fundraising and education work; with the National Park Service in San Francisco I worked on updating the List of Classified Structures, a massive undertaking which involved documenting and assessing all the historic structures in the Western parks. While living in Thailand, I worked with UNESCO on the Wat Phou world heritage site nomination. My last big project before starting HCN was coordinating the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. My background is more in the administrative aspects of preservation rather than the technical, hands-on conservation side, which is why joining with Judith to form Heritage Conservation Network is such a good match, as she has the technical side covered. HCN has worked with all kinds of historic structures, from mill buildings and houses to bridges.

AF: Can you tell us more about the Heritage Conservation Network (HCN)?

JD: Judith Broeker and I started HCN in 2001. I had helped Judith with some earlier workshops with her company Preservation Unlimited. Those workshops were quite successful. Together, we decided to create a non-profit organization that would work around the world, providing people with the opportunity to learn new preservation skills and learn about different types of structures and cultures. It has grown a bit to encompass other goals such as sustainable development, and heritage tourism, but at its core, we match people with preservation projects. Those people may be looking for training opportunities or want to contribute to a worthwhile project; either way, we keep them busy.

AF: How do you select HCN workshop sites?

JD: We receive requests for assistance via the Suggest a Workshop feature on our website. Our board of directors reviews the requests and determines their feasibility, based on certain criteria such as historic value, the type of work that needs to be done and whether it can double as a training opportunity, the level of community involvement, and logistical considerations. Most of the requests we receive are very legitimate and it pains me every time we need to turn someone down. But we’re really operating at maximum capacity now, and until we grow a bit more, we just can’t accommodate any more. We certainly know the demand for our assistance, in the form of workshops, is high.

AF: Who are the HCN workshop faculty and how do you find them?

JD: Our technical experts are professionals with particular expertise. We generally find them through our network of contacts – both our own and those of our project partners. Sometimes, however they find us, as in the case of Andy deGruchy, the masonry expert who led the Wiesel Bridge workshop. He himself wanted to save that bridge and contacted us, offering to contribute all the necessary materials and donate his services. We provided two full crews of volunteers, and at the end of the two weeks, the bridge had been fully restored. People who work with historic structures, needless to say, tend to be quite passionate about their work.

AF: Who usually attends an HCN workshop, are they mostly for students or experienced professionals?

JD: Workshops attract a mixture of people, many of whom are students and professional preservationists who want to get some hands-on experience. The workshops are a great way to get hands-on with a project, especially for those in the field who, like me, work more on the administrative side of things. Lobbying and surveying are just as important, of course, but I have to say there’s nothing quite like actually hammering a few nails to feel like you’re part of something real. And of course each workshop also includes volunteers from the local community who are preserving their own heritage, as well as participants who have chosen “voluntourism”, spending their vacation contributing their time and energy to a worthwhile project. Participants often cite the group itself as one of the highlights of their HCN experience. What can I say, good people do good things.

AF: Can you describe “a day/week in the life” of an HCN workshop? What is it like to participate in an HCN workshop?

JD: Each workshop is a completely different experience so it’s a bit hard to generalize, but I’ll try. Lodging for participants ranges from cozy bed and breakfast accommodations to hostel-style dorm rooms. You’ll generally find the price of a given workshop reflects the accommodation being offered. In the case of the Kornthal Parsonage workshop, people have offered to host participants, which means we are able to offer two levels of lodging and therefore two price levels. We usually offer a different rate for people who don’t need accommodation; they may be camping, or have relatives in the area.

Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to the site, such as air fare, rental car if needed, etc. In certain cases, we arrange transportation to the work site every day, though in most US workshops people arrive on their own accord. When necessary, we will write letters in support of visa applications, but we cannot of course arrange for people’s visas nor guarantee that their applications will be approved. Since 9/11 it’s become noticeably harder for people to get visas to the US, and that has affected us somewhat. As for meals, breakfast is usually provided at the place of accommodation. During the day, snacks, drinks and lunches are provided. We learned early on that people like, or rather, need, their coffee break; neither Judith nor I are coffee drinkers and in planning the initial workshops hadn’t taken into account how important morning coffee was to the vast majority of people out there! We provide snacks, water if necessary, and lunch during the day. In the evenings, people are free to dine where they like; inevitably the group chooses to go out as a group at least once, if not all of the time. In some cases, like our workshops in Sicily and Mexico, all meals, including dinner, are provided at the site, cooked by our hosts. We may work you hard, but we definitely feed you well, too.

Each day starts with a meeting to discuss the work to be done that day, the types of things that need to be considered, etc. Often there’s a brainstorming session to determine how to tackle a newly discovered problem – just the sort of thing that comes with working with historic structures. Generally the expert demonstrates what needs to be done and how, then people can try it out for themselves. People bring different skills to the workshop and share them, so we have had architects do measured drawings, carpenters teach great little tricks, and so forth. In many cases, participants have no hands-on preservation or construction experience whatsoever and they learn starting with the basics of using historic tools or modern power tools. It’s been a pretty empowering experience for a lot of people.

Field trips are arranged to relevant sites or sites of interest. For example, at our mill workshops, we’ve spent time visiting other mills in the area. In other workshops participants tour local historic sites, learning more about their host country or region. We are often able to arrange behind the scenes tours to give participants insights to the preservation and conservation issues at the site. Other times, believe it or not, participants are so focused on their work and the goal of completing a specific task that they forego the field trips in order to keep working.

AF: What are some highlights that stand out from past HCN workshops?

JD: My own personal highlight was seeing a 26’ sill beam slip perfectly into place at the end of the 2004 workshop at the Francis Mill. We’d been working like mad to get that done – it was the crux of the entire project – and, at the last hour of the last day, we did it! We held workshops at the Francis Mill in 2005 and 2006 as well, and the mill structure has been finished, amazing, when you consider there were really just six weeks of hands-on work. The Francis Mill Preservation Society is continuing work, with a new waterwheel set to be installed in June. Our workshop at the Manor House in Slovenia in 2006 was another highlight – not only was the discovery of the original color scheme exciting, the workshop received national television coverage, giving cultural heritage preservation a big boost in Slovenia. Of course, our work in New Orleans and Bay St. Louis is something we’re really proud of. Though our effort was small in the grand scheme of what was needed, to the individual homeowners it meant the world. The people who volunteered there were really touched by the experience.

AF: Tell us about some of the upcoming HCN workshops.

JD: This year we are returning to Virginia City, Montana and supporting the Montana Heritage Commission in their efforts to preserve the town, a massive undertaking, needless to say. This year’s focus is on historic finishes, a topic on which very little hands-on training is available. The Kornthal Parsonage, I have to say, is my own personal favorite of this year’s offerings. I fell in love with the building the minute I saw the photos, and there’s a lot of community support behind the effort to save this beautifully detailed Queen Anne house. The porches in particular need of serious attention. The workshop in Ghana is our first project in Africa, and we have very enthusiastic partners. It’s another of those places I, sadly, knew little about until we got involved, and we will be there at an exciting time – the 50th anniversary of their independence and the 150th anniversary of the end of slavery. We’ll be working on two structures – a stone chief’s house on the outskirts of Accra and a colonial-era residence in James Town, an important historic area in the city. We are currently working to involve local students and residents of James Town in the project and have them working there alongside HCN participants. The field trips to Elmina and Cape Coast, both World Heritage cities, should be great. We’re in the beginning stages of planning a workshop in Ethiopia at a very interesting, and complex, site that contains both archaeological remains and standing structures. So you can see we’re really covering the globe these days. We’re working to save the Stark House in Port Robinson, Ontario, an absolute charmer of a house that has essentially rotted out at the bottom. The workshop there – tentatively scheduled for this fall – will be just one way we’ll be involved there. In 2008 we have a focus on Eastern Europe, with workshops planned for Armenia, Albania, and back in Slovenia. The buildings in Armenia - many of which are still waiting for restoration after being damaged in the 1988 earthquakes - also strike a real chord for me. Beautiful. We are being really ambitious with our plans for 2008 and 2009 – the world is a big place and there is a lot of work to be done – we’re hoping people continue to support us and not only attend a workshop but all bring friends along with them!

AF: Aside from getting a degree in historic preservation or a related field or participating in activities such as an HCN workshop, how can students and others interested in preservation get involved or get experience?

JD: Plunge right in. Volunteering is a great way to get experience. Local historical societies, local preservation boards and organizations, statewide organizations, international campaigns all need people to help them. In addition to all my work with Historic Boulder, I volunteered with the National Park Service one day a week and was able to parlay that experience into a job there. (I had very understanding co-workers at my “real” job.) The HABS/HAER summer programs are an excellent way to get a start, too.

AF: What advice would you give those entering the field of historic preservation?

JD: Preservation is a very small field – everybody knows everybody. I’m always amazed that the people I worked with ten and even twenty years ago are many of the same people who are involved today. So be a good networker! Also, it takes a lot of initiative to undertake and follow through on many preservation projects - be sure you’re in it for the long haul and give it your all.

AF: This interview is a new feature on our blog; we’d like to do more. Do you have any suggestions regarding other preservationists we should interview?

JD: Sure. Nellie Longsworth, longtime director of Preservation Action, is an amazing woman. Jeff McDonald of the Virginia City Institute for Preservation Research & Technology. Charles Birnbaum, who is synonymous with cultural landscapes. People that we’ve met through HCN that are real go-getters include Franci Pecnik, our partner and on-site organizer in Slovenia, who is at the forefront of the country’s efforts to preserve their 4000-year history, and Sam Baddoo, who initiated our Ghana workshop and is working very hard to generate interest in Ghana’s culture, heritage, and historic buildings.

AF: I’m not sure where this fits, but I’m sure people would love to know how you operate from Hong Kong (and some of the other exotic places you’ve lived/worked) and about historic preservation in those areas.

The only reason this all works is because of the Internet. I’m online constantly. HCN exists pretty much virtually – our office is in a spare bedroom and our board members are scattered about. The time difference is a bit inconvenient sometimes when I need to talk with people in the US, but as you can see, almost everything can be done via email.

Preservation here in Hong Kong is in its infancy in many ways, but it is growing. The recent demolition of the iconic Star Ferry has served as a wake up call to the people of Hong Kong and has become the rallying cry that Penn Station was in the US preservation movement. There are designated monuments, but they are often out of context: a single building among a sea of skyscrapers. The proposed end to the street markets, the long-planned proposed demolition of Queen’s Pier, and “collective memory” are issues now. At the root of it all of course is money and land value.

AF Update, 3/13/07: HCN is offering the following workshops in 2007 (in Italy, Africa, USA, and Canada):

Conservation Survey in the Monastery of San Giovanni Battista (Serravalle, Italy, April 1-14, 2007).

Traditional & Colonial Building in Ghana (Accra, Ghana, June 24-July 7, 2007).

Historic Finishes of the Old West (Virginia City, Montana, USA, July 9-13, 2007.

Preservation Work at the Kornthal Parsonage (Jonesboro, Illinois, USA, July 15-28, 2007).

Saving the Stark House (Port Robinson, Ontario, Canada, September 23-October 6, 2007).

Additional workshops are planned for 2008. For more information, details, and registration information, please visit the web site.

BCon Weekend Update: Preservation Law, Preservation Design Studio

2007-03-10T16:37:00.000-05:00

This weekend's BCon classes included Preservation Law, Preservation Design Studio, and Traditional Trades and Craftsmanship.

In the Preservation Law class, students learned about the elements and administration of a local historic preservation ordinance, the federal and state court systems, takings, and due process. Small teams of students were also assigned specific cases to brief and present at the next class in two weeks.

Preservation Design Studio was held within our study area, at St. Francis de Sales Church on Congress Street (see 1875 map above). Building on ideas articulated at a smaller neighborhood meeting held at Minissale's Wine Bar and Cafe on February 22nd, students presented an animated Powerpoint whose theme was "Mt. Ida...Nature in Your Neighborhood, History at Your Doorstep," -- an illustrated summary of their findings and observations thus far, to approximately 30 neighborhood residents.

The presentation included project and meeting goals; a historical overview of the Congress Street/Mt. Ida neighborhood (with great historic photographs, maps and other images); an overview of natural features (Poesten Kill Gorge) and recreational assets (Prospect Park, designed by Troy's noted the African American architect Garnet Baltimore, an alumni of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute); an analysis of neighborhood demograhics, analysis of the neighborhood's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; land use and zoning; and architectural analysis and design ideas.

Students also gave residents an overview of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street program and concluded by outlining a range of possible final products, including historic district nominations, design guidelines, web site, 3D models, a blueprint for organizing a neighborhood group, and a marketing and promotion strategy for the neighborhood.

After the neighborhood meeting, students and faculty had a leisurely and delicious dinner at Minissale's, where we had an opportunity to discuss the residents' reactions and ideas, and socialize!

BCon Weekend Update: Traditional Trades and Crafsmanship

2007-03-10T15:43:00.000-05:00

For Traditional Trades and Craftsmanship students traveled to Eastfield Village (affectionately dubbed "Camp Many Moldings" by the Class of 2001) in East Nassau, New York, where they spent the day learning about and studying historic moldings. An "early American village" (1792-1840), Eastfield is the creation and life work of Don Carpentier, who has been collecting and reconstructing the stuff of everyday life between 1787 and 1840 since 1958.

The village is called Eastfield because Don's father give him eight acres of woodlot near the east field of the family farm in 1971 for the first of his reconstructions: a blacksmith's shop (somebody's pigpen before Don dismantled and hauled it here). There are now more that 20 buildings, including the whale of a tavern.

The class met in the historic William Briggs Tavern (1793 with additions dating to 1803) that Don rescued, moved from Hoosick, New York, and reassembled at Eastfield. The building has thirteen rooms, a ballroom, two parlors, and a Dutch Kitchen with a stone sink, a stone lintel over the fireplace, and a stairway by the bake-oven over the fireplace to channel warmth upstairs.

Using historic moldings from numerous buildings, many now demolished, Don discussed basic molding shapes (Roman ovolo, Greek ovolo, fillet, scape, cavetto, scotia, cyma recta, cyma reversa/ogee, astragal, torus, etc.) and the construction and evolution of moldings in the 18th and 19th centuries.

As Don passed around numerous examples from his large collection of historic planes, students also learned how moldings were formed, and how technological changes in the ways planes were made and used affected the construction and form of the moldings. Don also described how the forms of moldings (and other decorative elements) changed as things like lighting technology changed; variations in light levels caused differences in how moldings would have been observed and perceived. To illustrate this point, Don told about a workshop where participants gathered after dinner in the dark village buildings, observing how the appearance and visibility of moldings and various decorative finishes changed in varying light levels (one candle, two candles, argand lamp, sinumbra lamp, etc.).

As the morning session drew to an end, each student was given a section of molding to identify and describe for the class (window architrave: quirk ovolo, astragal, fillet....). Following lunch, students explored the village, examining each building and observing and describing the various moldings.

National Trust for Historic Preservation's 2007 Dozen Distinctive Destinations

2007-03-09T13:36:00.001-05:00

The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced its 2007 "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" this week.

From a charming Colorado mining town nestled among spectacular red sandstone bluffs where Puebloan ruins abound, to a Southern city that's home to a presidential library and linked forever to a defining moment in American history, to an 18th-century drop-dead gorgeous Chesapeake jewel of a town, America offers a wealth of alternative vacation destinations that symbolize an increasing dedication to historic preservation.

The list of 12 destinations was selected from a total of 63 destinations in 27 states nominated by individuals, preservation organizations and communities. It includes Charlottesville, Virginia; Chatham, Massachusetts; Chestertown, Maryland; Durango, Colorado; Ellensburg, Washington; Hillsborough, North Carolina; Little Rock, Arkansas; Mineral Point, Wisconsin; Providence, Rhode Island; West Hollywood, California; Woodstock, Illinois; and New Orleans, Louisiana.

This is the eighth time the National Trust for Historic Preservation has announced a list of Dozen Distinctive Destinations. To date, there are 96 Dozen Distinctive Destinations located in 41 states throughout the country. In each community, residents have taken forceful action to protect their town's character and sense of place. Whether by enacting a local preservation law to protect historic buildings against demolition, rewriting zoning codes to prevent commercial sprawl, removing regulatory barriers to downtown housing, making downtown areas more walkable, enacting design standards, or taking some other major step that demonstrates a strong commitment to their town, residents have worked hard to preserve the historic and scenic assets of their communities, with rewards that transcend town limits.

As of this year, four New York State communities have been identified by the National Trust as a "Distinctive Destination," including Cooperstown (2000), New Paltz (2004), Saranac Lake (2006), and Saratoga Springs (2002).

The list is a great starting point for discovering new historic places and planning trips.

Upcoming Historic Preservation Conferences and Workshops

2007-03-09T08:40:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more conferences and workshops to add to the list of continuing education opportunities taking place in the upcoming months. I'll keep adding them as I hear about and encounter them, focusing mainly on the northeast and mid-Atlantic areas since that is where we are located and where most of our students are from.

Of course, as noted in greater detail in this previous post, several conferences are taking place this weekend, including the blockbuster Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference at the Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA; the American Institute of Architects Historic Resources Committee conference at PSFS/Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, PA; and the NYC Historic Districts Council Preserving the Past, Planning the Future conference at various locations in Manhattan.

Future conferences and workshops include:

Saturday, March 24th - Association for Preservation Technology, Northeast Chapter, 2007 Annual Meeting and Symposium (details will be on the web site soon) at the First Unitarian Church in Providence, RI. Morning sessions will include "Overview of Rehabilitation in Providence," by Virginia Hesse, Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission; "Masonic Hall Renaissance," by Kyle C. Normandin and Lawrence Graham, Senior Associates, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc; "American Locomotive Company," Martha Werenfels, Prinicipal, Durkee, Brown, Viveiros, & Werenfels, Architects; and "Dynamo House," by Holly Grosvenor, Newport Collaborative Architects. Afternoon sessions and tours will include the APTNE Annual Meeting over lunch, a building tour of the First Unitarian Church and Meeting House by Robert O. Jones, Architectural Historian, Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission; and tours of Dynamo House and the Masonic Hall. The mail-in registration deadline is March 19th. For more information, check APTNE's web site or email info[AT]aptne[DOT]org.

April 14th - 22nd Annual Rhode Island Statewide Historic Preservation Conference [click for brochure .pdf], "Something Old, Something Green," Pawtucket, RI. As noted on the Rhode Island Internet Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission's website, "This conference will demonstrate that preserving old buildings, historic downtowns, and traditional land use patterns ensures a level of land, energy, and materials consumption that is sustainable for the future. Learn how revitalizing existing transportation routes, commercial districts, and brownfields lessens our footprint on open space and greenfields. Consider traditional design practices and industrial innovations that make historic buildings responsive to the natural environment and attractive for future users." The keynote address, "Defining Green: Sustainable Design and Historic Preservation," will be given by Jean Carroon, of Goody Clancy. Among the other sessions, walking and bus tours are the following: The Greenness of Historic Preservation; Renewable Energy Resources and Historic Preservation; Back to the Future: 21st-Century Growth in 19th-century City and Town Centers; National Register: Year in Review; Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Pawtucket Forum. Check the conference brochure for many other interesting sessions. NOTE: Registration is by mail only, using the form in the conference brochure.

June 2nd & 3rd - regional Preservation Trades Network workshop -- Casey Farm, Saunderstown, Rhode Island. This two-day event will bring together preservation tradespeople, architects, preservation organization staff members, historic property stewards, state and local government employees, preservation students, and homeowners. The event’s intent will be to promote the preservation trades, educate and create exchanges between preservation professionals through interactive demonstrations, learning sessions, and one-on-one discussions. Click on the link above for more information and a registration form.

October 11th - October 13th - 10th Anniversary International Preservation Trades Workshop in partnership with the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick, Maryland. In addition to the demonstrations, presentations and "hands on" sessions that have been a feature of every previous IPTW, some new and exciting offerings are being planned, including a Preservation Trades Jobs Fair and other events to be announced. Click the link for more information.

Also, according to this week's Forum Online Thursday Bulletin from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Vermont's annual historic preservation conference will be held on May 19th, but I can't find any information yet. I will post more information when I find it. If your organization has a preservation-related conference or event, please send information and I will try to post it.

Recent Preservation-Related News Stories

2007-03-08T07:44:00.000-05:00

Just a brief post this morning. I'm working on a couple of other things, including a post about additional upcoming conferences and our first ever blog interview, but in the meantime, these articles were in recent editions of the New York Times:

National Perspectives: A Portland [Maine] Community Forges a New Identity (Keith Schneider, 3/4/07), which describes redevelopment in Portland's downtown Bayside neighborhood, where the population is becoming highly diverse and a wide range of mixed-income housing has been created.

Another Building By a Noted Modernist Comes Under Threat, This Time in Boston (David Hay, 3/7/07) which talks about the potential demolition of Paul Rudolph's 1960 Blue Cross/Blue Shield building at 133 Federal Street in the city's Financial District. The proposed demolition would make way for a new 80-story office tower designed by another noted architect, Renzo Piano. A modern house designed by Rudolph was recently demolished in Westport, Connecticut.

Square Feet: A Waterfront That Has Left Its Wasteland Days Behind (Wendy Knight, 3/7/07) which describes Burlington, Vermont's nearly 20-year efforts to redevelop its formerly industrial and underutilized Lake Champlain waterfront.

Wall Street Makes The National Register

2007-03-06T23:07:00.000-05:00

From The New York Times, 03/06/07

The Wall Street Historic District, comprising part or all of 36 blocks in Lower Manhattan, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, an honorary designation that makes property owners within the district eligible for certain federal tax benefits and historic preservation grants. Representatives Jerrold L. Nadler and Charles B. Rangel, Manhattan Democrats, announced the designation in a news conference yesterday at the Federal Hall National Memorial, along with [Building Conservation adjunct professor] Ruth L. Pierpont, director of the New York State Historic Preservation Office, and Steven McClain, president of the National Architectural Trust. The historic district is bounded by Liberty Street and Maiden Lane on the north, Bridge and South William Streets on the south, Greenwich Street on the west and Pearl Street on the east. It contains 65 historic buildings and sites, of which 21 had been previously listed individually on the national register and 29 had been designated landmarks by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Buildings that now fall under all three of those designations include the New York Stock Exchange, the American Bank Note Company Building, the Equitable Building, Trinity Church, Federal Hall and the United States Custom House facing Bowling Green. SEWELL CHAN

Turpin Bannister Chapter, Society of Architectural Historians, Spring 2007 Events

2007-03-06T17:17:00.000-05:00

The Turpin Bannister chapter of the SAH has scheduled numerous events for spring:

March 14 (Wednesday) - Kimberly Kloch, "Breathing New Life Into Abandoned Houses of Worship," at the Cohoes Public Library, 169 Mohawk Street, Cohoes (in the former 1895 St. John's Episcopal Church). Reception at 5:30, presentation at 6:00 pm.

March 22 (Thursday) - State Education Building - Tour of the restored spaces led by George Webb and viewing of the recently restored original architect's model of the building at the State Education Building, Washington Avenue, Albany. Reception at 5:30 pm (5th floor), tour and viewing of the model at 6:00 pm. (2nd floor).

April 10 (Tuesday) - Bill Connor, of the architectural firm Woodward Connor Gillies & Seleman, will speak and lead tour of the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library, which opened in December, 2006. The library is certified as a "green" facility as part of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program. Location: Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library, 475 Moe Road, Clifton Park. Presentation at 6:30 pm, followed by a tour.

Future events include a "drive yourself" tour of Dutch Houses in and around Schenectady on Sunday, April 22nd, a presentation about "Roman Catholic Church Architect Patrick Keely" at St. Peter's Church in Troy by Building Conservation student Kevin O'Connor on May 22nd, and the SAH's annual dinner at Tosca's in Troy on Wednesday, May 30th.

For more information, contact Ned at 432-0220 or email nedpratt66[AT]aol[DOT]com.

Troy's historic Prospect Park, Preservation Design Studio Schedules Neighborhood Meeting

2007-03-06T16:50:00.000-05:00

As a follow up to a preliminary meeting held February 22nd at Minissale's, the Building Conservation Program's Preservation Design Studio will hold a neighborhood meeting on Friday, March 9th, at St. Francis de Sales Church basement hall at 5:30 p.m. All interested Mt. Ida/Upper Congress Street neighbors and business owners are welcome and encouraged to attend to hear more about the students' findings and observations and to share ideas for the future of this neighborhood.

The historic Prospect Park, which anchors the western edge of our study area, was featured in today's Albany Times Union and is currently the subject of an oral history project and exhibition being organized by the Rensselaer County Historical Society and the Friends of Prospect Park. The historic Poestenkill Gorge is another of the neighborhood's significant but underutilized natural, recreational, and industrial archeology resources.

From Times Union

TROY -- Prospect Park was a model recreational area when it opened a century ago, quickly becoming an attraction for city residents.

From its swimming pool to the park king and queen crowned each year, Prospect Park was part of the city's life.

The Rensselaer County Historical Society is collecting artifacts to help tell the story of the park's 100 years. They'll be part of the Prospect Park 100th anniversary exhibit that will open in May at the historical society at 57 Second St.
The society and the Friends of Prospect Park are hoping to tap the community's memory of the park to help put on the exhibit.

"I'm hoping that someone will come in and say, 'I was king or queen of Prospect Park,' " said Kathy Sheehan, the historical society registrar and curator the centennial exhibit.

The 80-acre park was designed by Garnet Baltimore, the first black to earn a bachelor's degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The city bought the land for $110,000 from the Warren estate.

Prospect Park developed during an era of reform movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Robert Engel, the historical society's executive director said. Prospect Park was part of the playground movement of that era to provide recreation opportunities in cities, Sheehan said.

The park was designed with its recreation areas an important aspect of the park, Sheehan said. The park wasn't a place to just come and visit.

"Troy was still a smokestack city," Engel said. The park provided opportunities over the decades for residents for recreation, whether it was playing tennis, playground equipment, swimming or arts and crafts. When the city's industrial base declined, so did the park.

"The park went through some hard times. People were afraid to go up there. It's not that way any more," Sheehan said.

While the park is celebrating its centennial this year, the citizens' organization Friends of Prospect Park, which advocates for the park and works to improve it, is marking its 10th anniversary.

"The park has had a great history for the city," said Peter Grimm, president of the Friends of Prospect Park and a Rensselaer County legislator.

"Ten years ago, the Friends was founded. The park had been neglected for a long time. We've turned around the whole perception of the park," Grimm said.

Increasing the awareness of the park by sponsoring various programs in the park this year is a goal, Grimm said. Part of putting on the exhibit is gathering artifacts related to the park's history.

"The best stuff is in people's attics or shoe boxes," Engel said.

"People don't like to throw stuff away," Sheehan said about the society's hopes that residents will recall a Prospect Park object and donate or lend it.

People interested in sharing artifacts with the historical society society should contact Sheehan at ksheehan@rchsonline.org or call her at 272-7232, Ext. 15.

Kenneth C. Crowe II can be reached at 454-5084 or by e-mail at kcrowe@timesunion.com.

Future of Historic House Museums

2007-03-03T11:02:00.000-05:00

As a follow up to my January 5th post Historic Preservation and Heritage Tourism News Stories, which included a link to an article about the financial difficulties of maintaining historic house museums in the face of declining interest and Colonial Williamsburg's related intent to sell Carter's Grove, readers may be interested in Bonnie Hurd Smith's recent post on the ENHA [Essex National Heritage Area] First Period Architecture blog.

In Future of Historic House Museums, she describes and provides detailed notes from a lecture presented by Carl Nold, president and CEO of Historic New England, Inc., in Salem, Massachusetts on March 1st. After indicating that Mr. Nold spoke to a "packed" house on a cold Tuesday night, she relates Mr. Nold's key points: why do we care about historic houses; what they can be; the current situation; some solutions; community roles, ways to manage, ways to appeal, etc.; key points, worth repeating; what can members do NOW to support historic house museums; and some follow up points.

In the introduction to her notes, Smith expresses the hope that Mr. Nold's comments will be published by Historic New England, but until then, I would encourage anyone interested in this subject to review her notes; to paraphrase or further describe them here would mean presenting this information to readers third hand.

Hurd Smith is former executive director, and now consultant to, the Ipswich Historical Society and principal of Hurd Smith Communications. The ENHA First Period Architecture blog was established in October, 2006.

Rensselaer Building Conservation/Historic Preservation Program, Troy, New York

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